I'll Never Find Another You
by SallyOn
Summary: Jamie meets someone who understands his life, and the choices he has made. They have great attraction for each other, but she is not from New York. Can his family accept her, and is she really who she says she is?
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: I have written two stories for 'Voltron Force' and am working on the sequel for one of them. 'Blue Bloods' is another favorite show of mine, and this plot bunny has been in my head for the last couple of weeks. I don't plan on this being a very long story, maybe six chapters at the most. I hope you will be patient with the story, as the first couple of chapters are about establishing the relationship. It will mostly be Jamie and the 'OC' but other Blue Blood characters will appear. In order for the plot to work, I need to set the stage.**_

_**I do not know if the NYPD has their own veterinary unit or not, but the facility at Pier 76 is real. **_

_**To My Voltron Readers: I will probably start posting 'A Knight's Journey' towards the end of June. I have some research I need to do first. **_

_**The title for this story comes from the song 'I'll never find another you' by The Seekers!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't know Blue Bloods, characters, etc. This is a work of fiction.**_

_**I appreciate reviews, and hope that I do right by the characters!**_

_**Springtime in New York**_

Jamie Regan was sitting in the morning roll call of the 12th precinct, listening to the day's assignments, and bulletins. He was looking forward to getting outside, as spring had arrived and New York was in full bloom. He was thinking of what he would've been doing if he was working as a lawyer, so not paying full attention to what the Lieutenant was saying.

"That's it for the assignments!" Lt. Harrison said, and then added "Regan, you'll join your partner on patrol in progress. First I need you to take some items up to Capt. Randolph, at the horse barn!" That drew lots of comments from the other police officers including "Did you wear your shit kickers?" The comment was delivered by an officer who had been in his class at the academy, and had taken pleasure in tormenting him from day one.

Jamie sighed and went to get the items from Lt. Harrison. _'At least I'll be outside'_ he reasoned to himself, as the Lt. explained what the file contained, and had him sign for it. "Regan, I know you think this is a bullshit assignment, but it isn't!" Lt. Harrison said, and then smiled as he realized what he had said. He was a decent police officer and always treated Jamie no different than any other cop.

Jamie appreciated that and smiled at the older man, who continued on "This is an old file that has not been computerized yet. Capt. Randolph wanted to review it in connection to an ongoing case they are working. He wanted it handled discretely." Jamie smiled and said "Not a problem! Actually it is a pretty day to go up to the barn."

It wasn't long before he found himself at the main barn for the mounted unit, at Pier 76. The whole project had been dedicated several years earlier by his Father. Jamie didn't know a lot about horses, but could tell the facility was well thought out. A patrol man on duty told him that the Captain was in the main barn, and pointed out the building.

He walked across a grassy area and entered the spacious barn that was cool and dim, after the bright sunlight outside. It took a bit for his eyes to adjust to the lower level lighting, and he didn't think anyone was around. However as he walked further into the building he saw a woman with her back to him.

She had black riding boots, buff colored breaches, and a blue oxford cloth shirt. Around her trim waist she had a black leather belt that was decorated elaborate tooling and silver Conchos. Jamie admired fine leather work, and knew the belt was a one of a kind piece. When he saw her hair though, he forgot about the belt. She had the most gorgeous red hair he had ever seen, from what he could see of it. It was pulled back in a French braid, and Jamie was busy admiring how the darker red pieces from underneath were woven with the bright, fire red strands.

Jamie was so caught up in admiring her hair that he didn't hear the woman say "Can I help you, Officer?" She said it twice, and he realized that she had turned around was looking at him. He was all set to say something when he saw her face and lost his train of thought completely.

She had a heart shaped face with creamy skin and the most incredible deep blue eyes he had ever seen. They reminded him of the intense blue of the delphiniums that his Mother had planted in her garden. She smiled as she asked the question, and Jamie saw pretty pink lips and a dimple in her cheek. Not realizing what he was doing he walked over to her until he was next to her.

He was surprised to see how tall she was, and just how perfect skin was. Jamie was pretty sure she was wearing almost no makeup, which was a rarity in the city. He was also interested in the cross around her neck that he could see barely above her demurely buttoned shirt. The chain was old gold interspersed with seed pearls, while the cross was of the same old gold, but set with old fashioned diamonds. He was willing to be they were diamonds, based on the workmanship.

It was as he was noticing how the cross that he saw the NYPD shield embroidered on her shirt, and realized she was a mounted officer. Jamie decided he had better stop gawking and get on with what he came for.

"I have a file for Capt. Randolph, from Lt. Harrison at the 12th Precinct." Jamie said, hoping she would smile again for him. "Capt. Randolph is getting a horse from the back barn. He should be here momentarily." As the woman said it, he realized that she had a soft southern accent that reminded him of honey being poured on warm bread.

Jamie smiled and asked "You probably get tired of hearing this, but you're not from around here, correct?" As he said it, he decided it was the dumbest thing he could have said. He was rewarded with a small bit of laughter, along with the dimple, as she replied "Keep those kinds of observations up and you might make detective by the time you retire!"

He started laughing too, liking the woman's attitude about what he was sure became tiresome after a while. She said "I'm from New Orleans." Jamie told her "I've been there! It is a beautiful city!" The woman smiled, and then frowned as she said "You're not going to tell me you threw up on Bourbon St. are you?" He looked surprised, and she went on "You would not believe how many people tell me those kinds of stories!"

Jamie could see her point, and said "I was actually at Baton Rouge for a seminar and then we went down to New Orleans for the weekend." He wasn't planning on telling her it had been a law school event, because he didn't want to go into his whole history. However, she didn't question him about the seminar, instead saying "I went to college at LSU, so I know that city well too!"

They spent the next couple of minutes chatting about various places he had been, and what he had done. Jamie then asked "What brought you to New York City?" She smiled and said "Job, what else? And how about you?" He smiled and said "Born and raised here! My name is Regan, Jamie Regan." She tilted her head to look at him and said "I'm Teddy Talbot. It is nice to meet you!"

He'd been enjoying just listening to her talk, between her accent and her smile. She had a good sense of humor, and he was pretty sure that she was a very kind person. Jamie was wondering whether he should offer to show her around the city, when an older man, wearing the uniform of the mounted unit with a lot of decorations, came up.

"Dr. Talbot, I have your patient here." The man was leading a big black horse who was walking with a slight limp. Jamie was trying to process the 'doctor' reference when he saw the Rod of Asclepius within the embroidery on her shirt. She wasn't a mounted officer, but a member of the Veterinary unit that was charged with looking after the horses and dogs used by the NYPD.

She turned to the horse and said "I was starting to wonder whether Black Bart was going to stand me up!" Jamie saw her stroke the horses head, and rub behind his ears. The horse looked pretty happy, but Jamie couldn't blame him. He would've enjoyed the attention too. Teddy turned to smile at him before she got busy tying up the horse.

"Officer, do you have business here?" The older man asked in a cold tone, and Jamie said "I'm looking for Capt. Randolph. I have some material for him from Lt. Harrison at the 12th Precinct." The man softened his tone some as he said "I'm Capt. Randolph. Come with me to my office and I'll sign for the file." Jamie wanted to laugh as he turned to the pretty vet and said in a much nicer tone "Dr. Talbot, I'll be back in just a minute!"

Jamie followed the Captain over to his office, and watched as he signed for the file. Before Jamie could say anything else, the Captain received a telephone call and dismissed him. On the way back to his precinct he thought about the beautiful vet he had just met. She looked very young to be a member of an elite team, and he wondered about her background.

Almost two decades earlier there had been a scandal about the care the animals, used by the NYPD, received. The contract had been farmed out to local vet clinics, and the low bid always won. Only a lawsuit from the American Humane Association, along with a strike by the mounted officers brought the practice to an end. The NYPD established their own veterinary corps, and it was by recruitment only to get a job.

It took a special set of skills to work for the unit, and the screening was rigorous. It wasn't just horses, but dogs also, and experience with working animals was mandatory. The result had been top of the line care delivered to the animals that kept New York City safe. Jamie found it very interesting that a young woman with a southern accent had made the cut.

He also wondered about her belt, having taken the time to notice the intricate cut silver buckle on the front. Several years ago he and his ex-fiancée Sydney had taken a four day trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jamie had been blown away by the wide open spaces, and the quality of the light. They had stayed on the plaza in a four star hotel, in a historic building that cost almost what the Plaza Hotel in the city charged.

On Sunday morning, after Mass at the beautiful old Cathedral they had pursued the various artists who sold their wares from blankets laid on the ground. Jamie had already been out to the Indian reservation, and seen pottery and leather work that was first rate. He had seen the amount of detail in the belt, along with the quality of the silver work. His first impression had been correct, and it was a one of a kind piece. He spent the rest of his patrol trying to figure out how the beautiful Dr. Teddy Talbot came to be in New York.

He was at his Dad's house after Mass on Sunday, talking to Danny who had shown up with his family. Danny and Linda liked to go to Mass in their home parish, and usually joined the family at dinner. Once a month they went to Mass at the Regan's home parish of St. Mary, where they had received their sacraments. Jamie went to Sunday Mass with his Father and Grandfather, because he was used to it.

They didn't know it but he went, if his schedule permitted, to morning Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, his neighborhood parish. After he and Sydney had broken up he'd had to give up the loft they had shared, so he had moved to a one bedroom apartment in a decent west side address. Jamie was very religious, and he knew that his Mother had always hoped that he would hear the call of a religious vocation. She died being happy that he was going to be a Harvard educated lawyer.

It had been almost two years since he and Sydney had broken up, and he was still amazed at how far his thought processes had changed. At the time he had been devastated that she would turn his back on him, his decision, and ultimately his family. However, after the initial shock had worn off he had started to see the warning signs that had been there from the first day of their meeting, at a law school function.

He was an Irish catholic son of a police officer, while she had been a WASP from Greenwich Connecticut. She had a trust fund from a great-great-grandfather who made money in the thirties. It took him a while to realize that it meant profiting off of prohibition and the depression, but by then he was in too deep.

Jamie had always thought he would not have sex until his wedding night, in spite of what most of his generation did, because of his faith. However Sydney had laughed at that, and said that religion had nothing to do with sex! He had gone along because he was in love with her, and the possibility of what their life was going to be.

They had moved in together because of the whole 'two can live as cheaply as one' saying, and looking at rents in the city he had gone along. Of course he had proposed to her, presenting her with a ring that he knew her mother, with five carats worth of family heirloom diamond on her left hand, was not impressed with.

By now Jamie had come to terms with everything, and was actually able to understand the saying that sometimes God's greatest gift was unanswered prayers. Jamie was happy with his work, he felt close to God, and could go to Confession with a clear conscience. He was lonely at times, but never as lonely as he had been the last month with Sydney.

Jamie brought himself back to listening to Danny talking about his neighbor who had spent thousands getting rid of a couple of trees. "So he hates the way the trees block the view from his patio, so he takes pays someone to take them down. All of a sudden he is being raked over the coals because of the EPA!"

He and Danny had been working on being closer, so Jamie was glad that Danny was sharing some of his 'family life' with him. They had never had an easy relationship, and Jamie joining the police department had not helped. He really wondered what Danny had seen in the Middle East, but suspected he would never know.

It was when dinner was done, and the grandkids were clearing the table, that he old Danny had come up. Jamie used to wonder if it was alcoholism, but Danny could be stone cold sober and deliver a zinger. "So I saw in the paper that your old fiancée is engaged! And to quite the catch too! Full partner in the law firm, and from an old Rhode Island Family! His ancestor signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution on behalf of Rhode Island!"

Jamie already knew all about, Sydney having given him a heads up a week earlier. She had spent a year in London, honing her legal skills and perfecting her ability to drink tea. She had been working in Boston for the last year, and had met Campbell Alden Scott V at a social event at Newport. Jamie could only imagine how over the moon Sydney's Mom was with the engagement. He had privately wondered whether Campbell had been smart enough to present Sydney with a diamond that was bigger, and older, than what her mother was wearing.

"Yes, she is engaged, and they sound very happy together! She told me about it two weeks ago." Jamie made it a point to deliver it in a neutral tone, as if he was commenting on the weather. Harvard Law School had taught him a great deal more than just law.

Nicky saw how white her Uncle Jamie's knuckles were, contrasting against the tone of his voice, and she felt bad for him. He was so cute, and so nice, and really deserved better than this. She was all set to say something when Grandpa Henry said "So, I've been following that mess with the FBI and the Port Authority, Francis. What is going on?" That launched a discussion that went on through dessert. Jamie excused himself at the end, saying he had an early morning shift.

The ride back to Staten Island was long, and Linda wished they could have a Sunday at home! However, about the time she was ready to put her foot down about it, Danny got involved in a case that kept him too busy to do anything else. It was at that point that she really appreciated the Regan family ritual.

Tonight though, she was more upset about what Danny had done. She looked in the back seat, and saw that her younger son was asleep, while her older one had his video game headphones plugged in. Linda took a deep breath and said "Danny was that necessary tonight?" She was regretting pointing out the engagement announcement to him earlier that morning, from the newspaper.

"Oh please! She was a hoity toity bitch, and the minute the going got tough she bailed on Jamie!" Danny said with vehemence. He had never cared for the porcelain doll that his Brother had brought home three years ago. "It doesn't matter what you thought of her, he loved her! He doesn't need his brother turning the knife in his back!"

Danny didn't say anything, knowing that it had really been wrong of him to announce that. He wished everyone understood how much he loved his brother, and only wanted the best for him. He also knew that he and Jamie were so far apart, that could have been in different hemispheres. He understood that he would have loved to have had the connection with Joe that Jamie had.

There was a part of him that wondered what his life would have been like if he had not gone to Iraq. Danny also wondered what his childhood might have been if he had not been so resentful of Erin, and he really wanted to know it would be like not to be haunted by ghosts. Danny wanted to protect his brother, but he was starting to see that all he was doing was pushing him away; like everyone else he loved.

Erin was trying to figure out why Nicky was so quiet on the drive home. Lately she never knew whether it was school, friends, or her parents' situation. Erin took a deep breath and decided to see what might be going on, and would her daughter share it with her. "You quiet; can I ask what you are thinking about?" Erin ventured, wondering what the response would be.

"I feel so bad for Uncle Jamie!" Nicky declared, and Erin glanced over at her before putting her eyes back on the road. "Is it because of Sydney's engagement?" Erin asked, mentally wanting to slap Danny for what he had said. "Mom, Uncle Jamie is so nice, and he was always so good to Sydney! I don't understand why she felt a job in London was more important than that!" Nicky said with passion in her voice.

Erin was proud of her daughter for her statement, and realized that this was a chance to indirectly address the problems that had led to the divorce. "Sydney fell in love with an up and coming Harvard lawyer, and the life style that went along with it. That life style does not involve work at all hours, or being shot at. It also doesn't pay well!" As Erin said that, she thought about her childhood, growing up the daughter of a police officer.

Nicky was not dumb and smiled as she said "Rather like you and Dad. You want to save the world, and he wants to make a lot of money!" Erin got a wry smile on her face, realizing that her daughter had seen through her spiel. "Yes, rather like your Dad and me, peanut!" Erin said, using the nickname that only she could use.

"Uncle Jamie does so much for everyone, and makes sure that they are all happy! He needs someone who is going to make him happy!" Nicky said. Erin agreed with her and smiled. Nicky said "In music we are studying the sixties, you know?" Erin nodded her head, thinking about the video of Woodstock her daughter had told her about.

Nicky had been horrified to have to listen to 'old people' music, but one song had stuck with her. The singer's voice had captived her at first, but then the lyrics had spoken to her on an almost spiritual level. She said "There is this one song that I just loved! I actually put it on my IPhone, because it was so incredible!"

Erin wanted to laugh, remembering Nicky's wails of protest that she had to listen to folk music. "What was the song?" Nicky smiled and said "I don't remember the title right now, and my phone is almost dead. The lyrics were about someone for everyone, and what a long journey it was but with someone by your side you could make it." Erin thought about what Nicky just said, and then felt like she must be doing something right when her daughter said "Honestly, I think I would rather have someone who was going to be nice to me, than someone who was going to make a lot of money!"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Coffee**_

It was Monday afternoon, the day after dinner at his Dad's with Danny's announcement about Sydney's engagement. Jamie had gone home to his small apartment, and after putting his gun away had poured himself a stiff shot of Irish whiskey. He had then fallen into bed with visions of the cold, dark, accusing eyes of his ex-fiancée.

Jamie had decided that Dr. Talbot was out of his league, and was glad that he had not offered to show her the city. He was sure that any woman who looked like she did had lots of men who would show her around. She had been nice to him, but she would have done that for any NYPD officer. Jamie figured that her job was because of the police department, so of course she would be polite.

His shift was almost done when he and Renzulli received a call to a drug bust in a print shop. When they got there, they backed up the SWAT team that went in first. Once the premises were cleared an officer with a drug dog entered the building. It didn't take long before the cache of cocaine was found inside several copy machines. The clean up took another hour before it was all done.

They were standing outside the building when the officer with the dog came out. Jamie had never seen a dog like that before, and wondered what type it was. The police dogs he had seen had all been German Shepherds, but this dog looked nothing like that. "Canny, what is happening?" His partner Renzulli paged the officer, and Jamie looked up in surprise.

"Tony? Tony Renzulli is that you?" The man came over and hugged Renzulli as he laughed. "Canny, good to see you!" Renzulli turned to Jamie and said "This is Sgt. Canute Olfesson! A good guy in spite of being Norwegian and eating lutefisk!" The big, blonde giant laughed and said "Better than eating squid!"

Jamie watched as they held old home week for a bit, and then Renzulli gestured to the dog "Henri looks great!" Canny smiled and said "I really thought he was a goner, but the vet did an incredible job with him!" By now Jamie had been introduced and he asked "What kind of dog is he? I've never seen one like it!" Canny took great pride in stroking the dog's back as he said "Belgian Malinois! Not too common here, but the top choice for the U.S. Secret Service. Top drug dogs in the world, and favorite breed for Interpol!"

"Was he sick?" Jamie asked looking at how good the dog looked sitting there. Canny got an angry look on his face and said "This mother fucker of a drug dealer hid his drugs in meat laced with anti-freeze. Totally blocked Henri's sense of smell and almost poisoned him!" Jamie was taken aback by the anger in the voice and replied "What happened?"

Canny smiled suddenly and said "I paged the on call NYPD vet, and they came right out! Keep in mind this is 2:00am in the morning, and in a hell hole! The vet didn't waste any time, but pumped his stomach and saved his life. If it wasn't for Dr. Talbot, Henri wouldn't be here!"

"Thank god we have our own vets! A civilian vet would have blown me off, but our vets understand how important these dogs are!" Canny said, and then excused himself to go to some follow up work. Renzulli looked after his friend and said "Totally nuts about that dog, but it is his job. I hope Dr. Talbot got a good recommendation for his hard work!"

Jamie had to repress a smile, thinking that if it was the Dr. Talbot he had met, it was she and not he. That had gotten him thinking about how much he had enjoyed talking to her, and how blue her eyes had been. He decided that the worst thing that could happen was that she would turn him down.

He took a deep breath, and brought up the directory for the NYPD on his phone, finding the Veterinary Corps with no problem. In going down the directory though, he did not see a Dr. Teddy Talbot, only a Dr. E. Talbot. Deciding that maybe it was a misprint, which was not unknown, he called, hoping he would get her voice mail.

"NYPD Veterinary Unit, this I Dr. Talbot. May I help you?" Jamie heard the soft southern accent on the other end of the phone, and realized he hadn't gotten her voice mail. "Dr. Talbot, Teddy, this is Jamie Regan, we met last week at the horse barn?" Jamie made it a point to use his courtroom voice, and hoped that she remembered him.

There was bit of laughter then the voice said "Yes, Jamie Regan I do remember you! You are a native New Yorker, and had not thrown up on Bourbon St.!" He remembered the conversation and smiled as he said "If I have to be remembered for something, I guess that is better than nothing!" She laughed and then asked "How can I help you?"

Jamie took a deep breath and said "Teddy, I didn't know if you'd be interested in having coffee with me one morning this week?" He would have been happy if he could have seen the smile on her face. "Jamie, I would like that! It would be interesting to hear about New York from someone who has lived here their whole life. I could do any morning but Tuesday."

"Why don't we plan for Wednesday, around 10:00am?" Jamie offered, and when she accepted he suggested a place to meet. They exchanged a few more words, and then said goodbye. Jamie still didn't know if she was being polite, wanted to know about New York, or was maybe interested in him. However, he took it as a sign that the universe was smiling on him.

On Wednesday morning Jamie finished his shift and headed over to the coffee shop he was supposed to meet Teddy at. He had debated going home, and changing out of his uniform into what he called his 'lawyer clothes' but had decided not to. It would have been a hassle and might have made him late.

Jamie didn't want to admit it, but there was also the issue of wanting to see how Teddy would react to being seen with him in his uniform. He still remembered how Sydney had reacted, one day when he had come to see her at work in his uniform. She had not been able to hide the discomfort on her face about it. After the break-up, when he was ready to start thinking about dating again, he had decided that he would make sure he didn't have that experience again.

It was a little before 10:00am when he saw her, and he almost wished he would have changed. She had on a navy, white, and yellow woven skirt, navy low heels, and a yellow shirt. The shirt showed off her red hair, which was loose and dancing in the sunlight like flames. He noticed several of the men in the shop looking at her with admiration. When she saw him Teddy smiled at him, as she walked toward him.

"Good morning Jamie, how are you doing?" She asked, looking at him. Jamie saw that her eyes were as blue as he remembered. "I'm doing well, especially now that you are here!" He told her, admiring her smooth skin, wondering whether she wore makeup or not. "That is very kind of you to say! Are you going to work? Or coming off?" Teddy replied with a smile, as they went to stand in line to order.

Jamie noticed that Teddy didn't seem concerned about his uniform, which made him glad. He knew that several of the men in the shop had been disappointed when she had come up to him, which gave him a secret chuckle. "Actually I just finished a shift, and I didn't have time to run home and change." He told her as he titled his head to look at her.

"Don't worry about it, you look good in blue!" Teddy gave him an almost flirtatious look, and then got serious "I'm sure you're tired, so we can keep this short." Jamie now wanted to kick himself, because he didn't want to keep it short. However, before he could say anything she went on "I only have an hour or so, because I have to do an exam on a new dog that just came in from Lackland AFB. When we talked on Monday I didn't know about it."

Jamie looked puzzled and said "Lackland AFB? Why there?" Teddy smiled so he could see her dimple and said "All bomb dogs receive their training at the base in Texas. They spend over a year there before they are assigned to their handlers." He had never thought about the training the dogs received, and realized there was world he knew nothing about.

Before he could reply it was their turn to order, and Jamie let her go first. He liked the fact that she ordered regular coffee with milk, not some complicated beverage. Jamie remembered one of his law school buddies telling him never to date women who ordered things that require a lot of work, because they were high maintenance themselves.

Jamie ordered some coffee and then asked if she wanted something else. "I had a big breakfast early, because I was doing surgery this morning. Something sweet sounds good! I'd like a slice that lemon pound cake please." Teddy said to the clerk. Jamie asked for a piece of the cinnamon swirl loaf, which he knew was good.

She got out her wallet to pay for hers, but Jamie said "I invited you, so it is my treat!" His Father had brought him up with old fashion values, and he hoped she wouldn't argue with him about him paying. Teddy flashed her dimple as she said to him "Thank you! You are quite the gentleman!"

When they sat down Jamie said "I met a patient of yours on Monday, Teddy. Henri, one of the drug dogs? His handler is Sgt. Olfesson, and he said you saved the dog's life." Teddy looked a little embarrassed at that and said "I'm glad I was able to get there in time. Henri would have been a big loss to the department. He is the top drug dog."

They chatted for a bit about the breed of dog, and Teddy told him a little bit about Belgian Malinois dogs. Jamie then decided to ask her what he had been wondering "How did you come to work for the NYPD?" Teddy took a sip of her coffee and said "Is that code for what is a nice southern girl like me doing up here?" Jamie laughed and said "I'm just really curious. You must be very good, because even I know that the vet unit stringent about whom they hire!"

Teddy smiled and said "I was recruited from the Army Vet Corps. I spent two years in Europe and Afghanistan, working with the dogs that our personnel use." Jamie got a shocked look on his face and said "You were in the army?" She giggled and said "Why does that surprise you?" Jamie was trying to figure out how to explain it without looking like an idiot.

"You don't strike me as the soldier type that is all." He said, knowing it sounded lame but not being able to come up with anything else. "I was hardly a soldier! I went in as Captain, and spent my time taking care of animals. I was recruited for it too, right out of vet school!"

Jamie was now thoroughly intrigued and asked "Do I get the whole story? Are you some secret agent veterinarian?" She shook her head, which caused her hair to dance around. The fiery red pieces glittered in the sunlight, causing them to glow. "I went to vet school at Colorado State University, which is an Ag school. I did a lot of work with cows, pigs, and horses while I was there." Teddy said, and then took a bite of her cake.

"There are a lot of cattle that gets transported around Europe and the Middle East, and the army has to certify it all. They recruit from vet schools at agriculture colleges, because graduates are used to handling livestock. Once I was in, I worked on the service dogs also, so I learned all about the challenges they face." She explained, and Jamie liked listening to her voice. He asked "Had you always wanted to do that kind of thing?"

Teddy got a horrified look on her face and said "Oh my no! I didn't even want to go to CSU, but I didn't get in anywhere else!" Jamie looked surprised, and she went on "I really wanted to stay in the south and work with pets! But since CSU was the only place I got accepted I went there. And the reason why I took the offer from the US Army is because in return for my service, they paid for three years of vet school! I wiped out my student loans by my signing my name!"

Jamie was impressed with her, and could understand her reasoning. He didn't know what vet school cost, but if it was like law school he could imagine what her loans had been like. Teddy smiled and said "They paid my tuition; they paid me a salary, made me an officer, and let me spend six months in Europe. I saw all kinds of places I would never have seen!" Jamie would have been glad to listen to her all day, but she had something else in mind.

"Enough about me! I want to hear about you, and what it was like growing up in New York City?" Teddy asked him. Jamie told her about his family, not mentioning who his Father was. He had learned the hard way to avoid giving out that nugget of information. He told her about growing up, and college, and took the plunge. "After college I went to Harvard Law School, and then graduated and came back to the city."

He waited to see what she would make of it, and was surprised to see her looking at him with a puzzled frown. "You really went to Harvard Law?" Teddy said in disbelief, and Jamie didn't understand her reaction. She saw the look on his face and said "Jamie, I'm sorry that came out so wrong! It's just that all the guys I've met who've gone to Harvard Law, or even Yale, feel the need to announce it in the first three sentences!"

Jamie understood what she was referencing and smiled at her as he said "I think I know what you mean! They are rather impressed with themselves!" That made her giggle, and then she said "How did you end up a cop?" Teddy then added in a teasing tone "I think you're a little too young to have been disbarred!" That made him laugh, and Jamie saw that he had been right about her having a good sense of humor.

"I come from a long line of cops, and I realized that this is what I was supposed to do!" Jamie told her, wondering what she would say to that. "I'm impressed! I don't know how many people would give up the benefits of being a lawyer to be a police officer. You must like what you do." Teddy said in her soft accent. Jamie smiled and said "I do like what I do, and would have been miserable as a lawyer!"

They chatted a bit more, and then Teddy noticed the time. "I'm sorry Jamie, I need to go! I don't want to keep the newest four legged member of the NYPD waiting!" He was sorry she had to go, having been enjoying her company. "Teddy, would you be available to have lunch this Saturday?" Jamie asked, not wanting to push dinner yet. "I would like that! Let me give you my cell number, and you can let me know the details." Before she left Teddy squeezed his arm and said thank you for the coffee. He sat there for a couple more minutes, thinking about their conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: This chapter, like the last chapter only has Jamie and Teddy in it. However, in chapter 4 the other Regans will be showing up. I just wanted to get Jamie and Teddy's relationship established. Thank you for reading and reviewing!**_

_**The Next Month**_

It was Saturday evening and Jamie was getting ready for his date with Teddy. Since their coffee shop meeting they'd had several lunches, coffees, and brunch once. They'd been to various places in the city, including Central Park. He'd been pleased with how well things were going, and how much they seemed to have in common. It turned out that Teddy was Catholic, and very religious, going to Mass every day. Her brother was studying to be a Jesuit priest, and she had a sister who was married with three kids.

Teddy's father had worked for the city of New Orleans before retiring, while her Mother had been killed in a car accident over six years ago. They exchanged funny stories about being educated at Catholic schools. She had been educated at the Ursuline Academy, the oldest convent school for girls in America, as well as the oldest Catholic school. Jamie had been glad to hear that she'd had fun in high school, and had not been driven about her future. He'd known enough girls like that, and by the time they were thirty they were very hard to be around.

He had met some of her friends at a happy hour event. There was some kind of LSU group here in the city, and a couple of the people had been at school at the same time as Teddy. One of them was doing his medical school residency at Columbia, and married to another member of the group. Jamie had found out that the guy had been the roommate of Teddy's ex-boyfriend. He didn't ask her any direct questions, but he picked up on the fact that the relationship was long over.

He also didn't feel comfortable prying too much, as he had not told Teddy about Sydney yet. Her friends reminded him of some of his college and law school friends, so it had been an easy evening. Jamie had found it interesting that no one seemed surprised that he was a cop. He was starting to wonder if things were different in New Orleans.

Jamie liked the fact that she was very kind, and very easy to talk to about his job. He guessed it was because she worked with police officers, but she understood what the job was like. Teddy didn't freak out if he told her something dangerous had happened on his shift, which made him more comfortable telling her stuff. She was also good at making jokes about some of the stuff that had gone on, and enjoyed teasing him about the prostitutes he dealt with sometimes.

She knew about Joe, and all that had gone on with that, as well as stuff about Danny and Erin. He had not mentioned that his Father was Police Commissioner, but assumed she must know by now. Jamie was glad that she was polite enough not to bring it up. Jamie was looking forward not only to dinner, but to seeing where she lived.

For their other dates, they had always met at the place, which Jamie understood. A woman couldn't be too careful, he knew, and he liked the fact that she was aware of that. He also appreciated that she seemed to want to go as slow as he did with the relationship. She had let him set the pace, and had been content with the way it was working. Jamie was grateful that she didn't need to call or text him several times a day, or want to drop by to see him.

Jamie went over to her place, which was on the east side, in a very good neighborhood. The apartment building was a beautiful piece of architecture from the 1930's, which had been well maintained. The doorman greeted him as he opened the door and he stepped into a lavish lobby complete with marble, fresh flowers, and a crystal chandelier.

There was another uniformed man behind a desk, and Jamie presented himself saying he was here to see Dr. Talbot. Jamie was dressed in his best 'lawyer casual' outfit, which must have passed muster with the man. He paged Dr. Talbot, and then indicated that Jamie could go up to the 4th floor, pointing to where the elevator was.

The elevator was as lavish as the lobby, and Jamie was starting to wonder about Teddy. This place cost serious money to live here, he knew. When he and Sydney had been engaged they would wander around these neighborhoods and imagine making enough money to live in a building like this. Something wasn't adding up, because up until now Teddy had seemed very ordinary.

She was down to earth, and had actually spent two summers doing an internship on the Navajo reservation in Arizona. That was where she had gotten the beautiful belt she wore with her riding gear. It had been made for her by a well known Navajo craftsman in return for her work on the reservation. The gold, pearl, and diamond cross she wore all the time was genuine, and had been passed down from her Grandmother who was from Australia originally.

Teddy was well dressed, but nothing trendy or over the top. Everything was good quality, but very much like what his sister wore. Jamie remembered some of the designer outfits Sydney would wear, and it was easy to tell that those had cost a lot of money. Luckily her parents bankrolled her wardrobe he'd always thought. He put that thought out of his mind as he arrived at Teddy's apartment.

She let him in, and he followed her from a small entry way to a nice size living room. The windows overlooked a pretty garden in the courtyard, and he could see a small dining room, kitchen, and powder room. The décor was yellows, and pinks, with touches of green and cream. There were several old pieces with what he thought might be a French influence, but comfortable modern seating.

The effect was bright and cheerful, and Jamie could tell it would be easy to relax here. He saw a doorway that led down the hall, and assumed the bedroom was down there. It was a beautiful apartment with well cared for wood trim, and wood floors that had bright rugs on them.

"This place is amazing! How did you find it?" Jamie asked after greeting her with a hug. He had not kissed her yet, but was hoping to at the end of dinner. Right now though, he was curious about the apartment. "Thank you! Yes, it is wonderful and I am very lucky! My Grandmother arranged the whole thing!" Teddy said, and went on to explain how her Grandparents knew the people who owned the apartment. They were living somewhere else, but were waiting to sell until the market improved. "So the upshot is that I get to live here for a pittance!"

Jamie smiled and said "You are in for a big shock when you start looking at apartments here!" Teddy laughed and agreed with him, and then asked "Where do you live?" He told her where, and they discussed different sections of town on the way to the restaurant. He'd given it lots of thought as far as where to take her for dinner. He couldn't afford somewhere fancy, and he didn't think she would be interested in that anyway. Jamie remembered that she had talked about travelling all over Europe and especially the food she had sampled.

There was an upcoming Portuguese restaurant that had good food at a decent price. It wasn't the kind of place he would take someone to without knowing that they were comfortable with foreign food. When they arrived at the restaurant, Teddy had been pleased with the choice. She'd spent some time in Portugal, so was familiar with the cuisine.

They were chatting over drinks and appetizers when a well dressed couple came up to their table. "Jamie, Jamie Regan, long time no see!" The man, who was tall with dark hair, a tan, and a Rolex watch, was shaking Jamie's hand. The woman was thin, very blonde, and dressed in a stunning red designer outfit. Introductions were made, and then the man, whose name was Preston Chandler, said to Jamie "I saw the announcement for Sydney's engagement. She has done well for herself!"

Preston Chandler had been a law school classmate, and the golden boy. After top grades and law review he had snagged a plum position working for a Judge. He'd always been impressed with himself, and Jamie had barely been able to tolerate more than 15 minutes of his company. Now though, he wanted to strangle the guy. "Yes, she is very happy. I'm sure it will be a lovely wedding." Jamie said in a conversational tone. They chatted for a couple more minutes, than the other couple excused themselves.

Jamie turned to look at Teddy, who was eyeing him with a quizzical expression. He decided he might as well get it over with and tell her about Sydney. "Preston and I went to law school together." Jamie began and Teddy laughed as she said "Do you remember me telling about guys who went to Harvard Law, who like to tell you that they did? Preston is that type!"

"He is very successful, and will probably go into politics!" He told her with a smile, glad that she had seen through Preston. "Teddy, there's something I haven't told you about me. I wasn't hiding it, but the subject has never come up before now." Jamie said after taking a deep breath. Teddy smiled and said "I guess it concerns the reference to Sydney's engagement?"

Jamie nodded his head and said in a low voice "I met Sydney in law school, and after we graduated we got engaged and moved in together." He stopped, and wondered what she was going to make of that. He knew that she was religious, and had picked up that she was conservative and old fashioned also. Jamie saw that she hadn't said anything, just nodded her head.

"I thought I loved her, and she wasn't religious; she wasn't even Catholic! Rents are expensive in New York, and well it just happened." Jamie said slowly, and suddenly he felt ashamed of his actions. He was relieved when Teddy put her hand over his and said "And then after it happened, it unhappened?" Jamie saw that she wasn't judging him, she was just curious.

Her blue eyes looked at him with kindness, and he went on "She thought she was marrying a soon to be successful lawyer. When I joined the police force that changed everything for her. What we thought we had wasn't strong enough to overcome our differences. She decided to take a job in London, and broke off the engagement. That was about two years ago." Jamie finished and waited for Teddy's reaction.

"I'm sure it was hard at the time, but I think you had an angel looking out for you! If she loved you, she would have understood your decision. You decided to do something that was important to you and obviously to your family!" Teddy told him in a serious voice, and then added. "At least you found out before you married!"

Jamie was relieved that Teddy wasn't going to question him, or rake him over the coals about the fact that he had lived with Sydney. He decided that since he'd told his story, maybe he could find out about her ex-boyfriend. "I see that now, but at the time I took it very hard!" Jamie said, liking how she was still holding his hand. "So Teddy Talbot, do you have any broken hearted men in your past?"

He hoped that by phrasing it like that, with a smile, it wouldn't be too much like prying. Jamie found it hard to believe that any woman who looked like she did, in addition to being smart and kind, didn't have legions of boyfriends. Teddy laughed and said "I have one serious ex, and several guys who did not quite get to relationship status!"

"Considering how beautiful you are, I'm surprised you don't have men camped outside your door!" Jamie told her with a mischievous grin. He watched as she tossed her loose red hair, making it dance like fire, while she showed the dimple in her chin. "I keep where I live a very closely guarded secret!" Jamie felt like he was falling into a pool of warm honey, and just wanted to keep on falling.

"I'm impressed I have made it this far! But what about those others? Come on, I've bared my soul about Sydney!" Jamie told her, flashing a charming smile. "That must be your courtroom smile! There is a jury pool somewhere that is missing out!" She told him as she giggled, and then asked "You know Brent right? Brent St. Claire?"

Jamie smiled and said "Yes, your friend from LSU who is doing his residency." She nodded her head and said "His roommate and I dated through college. We met the first year at a fraternity/sorority function and hit it off. When graduation came, he was off to Georgetown law school, while I was heading to the wilds of Colorado." Jamie found it interesting that her ex was a lawyer, but didn't say anything.

"We agreed that we would put the relationship on hold, maybe date other people, all that kind of thing. When I finished vet school I came back to New Orleans, as did he. By then he knew he wanted to go into politics. We ended up being very different people, and parted with no hard feelings. While I was overseas I met a couple of guys who might have developed into something, but the spark was lacking." Teddy explained in a matter of fact tone.

At the back of his mind Jamie wondered what kind of physical relationships she'd had with those guys. He had been pleased that she hadn't been shocked about him and Sydney, but he kept on thinking about how religious she was. By now they'd been served their dinner, and they were eating the delicious food. Jamie liked how Teddy ate real food, and not salad or only organic stuff. She'd ordered a pork stew with clams in a spicy red pepper sauce, while he was doing a variation of paella that was rich with saffron.

Jamie was not pleased when his phone went off, with the emergency signal. He sighed and mouthed 'I'm sorry' to Teddy as he took the call. He finished up and said "Look, I'm really sorry Teddy. There is a big mess in the 12th Precinct and everyone is being called in. I need to go!" Teddy smiled an understanding smile and said "Don't worry about it, it's your job! I can take a taxi home." She took his hand and added "I'll have them bag up the rest of the meal and you can come over for dinner tomorrow night, if you'd like?"

Jamie looked at her, amazed at not only what a good sport she was being, but that she was inviting him over for dinner. "I'd like that a lot! Thank you!" Jamie said, thinking there must really be angel watching over him. "Have I told you that you are not only beautiful, but wonderful too?" Jamie said, looking at her eyes. He stood up, came over to her, and put his arm around her. She looked up at him, and Jamie reached down and kissed her lightly.

Their lips barely met, but were slightly parted and for just a moment their tongues touched. Jamie pulled back, and looked at her wondering if it had been as incredible for her, as it had for him. He decided that judging by the way her eyes looked, it had been. As he left the restaurant he hoped that whatever the emergency was, it was worth ruining his evening over!


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: The Reagans are back, including a Sunday dinner scene!**_

_**Summer in the City**_

Jamie and Teddy were at Ronnybrook Farms ice cream parlor on a Friday afternoon. It had been several weeks since their dinner at the Portuguese restaurant. Since then they'd spent more time together, and Jamie had been able to kiss her properly and in private. The sofa in her living room was very comfortable, but that was as far as he had made it.

He knew he was falling in love, and he remembered what had happened the last time. He was determined not to make the same mistakes again. Jamie couldn't believe how incredible she was, and wanted to introduce her to his family. That was the problem though, his family.

Jamie loved his family with a powerful loyalty that almost hurt at times. He and Joe had been so close, and when he had died the pain had been hard. Joe had been his bridge to Danny, and now the bridge was gone. Danny had been trying to overcome it, and Jamie welcomed those attempts. Erin was the most upright person, and he knew how much she cared about him. His Father and Grandfather were the two men he most admired, and he never wanted to let them down.

His family had welcomed Sydney with open arms, in spite of their private misgivings about her. When the breakup had happened he'd never told his family the real reason. In thinking about it now, he thought it interesting that they hadn't asked. Sydney was the last girl he had brought home, and was concerned about what they would do to Teddy.

Jamie knew that Teddy was not some frail flower! He was starting to understand those comments about southern women being pure steel in a velvet glove. She'd handled livestock, horses that were larger than she was, and she'd been in Afghanistan. However, in his mind she was still very soft and kind, having somehow missed getting the hard shell the city could give people. Jamie could only imagine what Danny would think of her, while Erin would get her alone and grill her on every minute detail of her life. There were times that having people who cared about you could be a problem.

"You were right; this is really good ice cream! And what a neat place!" Teddy told him as she ate the sundae. It had a scoop of Mexican vanilla bean ice cream, and cinnamon ice cream topped with hot fudge sauce, caramel sauce, and whipped cream. They had decided to share one of the big creations, and Jamie had resigned himself to some chocolate creation, because women always liked chocolate.

Teddy had picked one of the least chocolate creations, and when he'd asked her about it, she'd said that she'd had a hard time deciding between the one they got, and a lemon creation that had also looked good. She then said that she was only so-so on chocolate, only liking it at certain times. Jamie had smiled when she'd said that, being able to read between the lines. He'd come to the conclusion that having intimate experience with a female was very helpful in dealing with other females!

Jamie was enjoying spending time with Teddy, and they were giggling about something that had happened at the horse barn earlier in the week. He happened to look up at the entrance to the ice cream parlor and his heart sank! His niece Nicky, in her plaid school uniform, was walking into the place along with her girl friend and some boy that Jamie didn't know.

"Is something wrong?" Teddy asked him, sensing the change in his body. Jamie decided that maybe starting with Nicky was the easiest, and said "My niece just walked in, with two friends." As he said that Nicky saw him and waved, her eyes getting wide as she saw he wasn't alone. Jamie had been sitting close to Teddy, with his arm around her, and he knew that Nicky had not missed anything.

Teddy looked discretely towards the door, and then at him as she asked "That is Erin's daughter, right? The pretty one with dark hair?" Jamie was glad that Teddy was tactful, and also appreciated her being complimentary. When Nicky had cut her hair, Danny and Grandfather Henry had given her a hard time. Erin had not been pleased, but put it down to youthful self expression.

Jamie smiled at Teddy and said "Would you like to meet her?" She looked up at him from under her reddish-brown eyelashes and asked "Would you like me to meet her?" He had to give her points for that response and said "She is probably the easiest member of my family to start with!" Teddy gave him a wry look as she said "You must not have been paying attention in biology class Jamison! The female is always the most deadly of the species." It was delivered with laughter and her dimple, and Jamie laughed along with her.

Nicky Reagan, along with her friend Mallory Frickson, and her boyfriend Mark Dunson had stayed after school to study. They'd gotten hot after a while, and decided they wanted ice cream. Nicky and Mallory were good friends, and she'd had to admit that Mark was not a bad sort. He had good taste in music, was very sweet to Mallory, and even put up with her best friend.

When they walked into the ice cream parlor, Nicky had looked around out of habit, wondering who else from her school was there. She wished she wasn't in her plaid skirt, or at least that the skirt and white blouse looked as good on her as it did on Mallory. However, when she looked over at one of the booths to the left, she completely forgot about her bad plaid uniform.

Her Uncle Jamie was sitting in the booth with his arm around an incredibly beautiful woman. She had glowing red hair, blue eyes, and skin as creamy smooth as porcelain. Nicky watched as the woman said something with a smile, and her Uncle laughed. He looked a lot happier than she had seen him look in a long time.

"Nic, what is going on?" Mallory asked her, wondering why she had stopped in the doorway. "OMG, my Uncle is in the booth over there with a woman!" Nicky said, and Mark, who liked to pretend he was more sophisticated than he really was, said "What is the big deal? It's not like he has his arm around another guy!" Mallory laughed, and Nic said "That's not it! She is beautiful!"

Mark looked in the direction Nicky indicated and saw the couple. His opinion of Nicky's Uncle went up quite a few notches as he looked at his companion. "Wow! She is smoking hot! Those eyes, that hair….that body!" Mark was stammering, and if Nicky had not been so concerned about her Uncle she would have had a good laugh at Mallory's reaction to Mark's comments.

Jamie caught Nicky's eye and waved at her. She smiled at him in recognition, and decided to go find out whom Uncle Jamie's friend was. She wasn't her Mother's daughter for nothing! When she got over there Jamie stood up and gave his niece a hug, and then introduced Dr. Talbot. Nicky introduced her friends, and they all said hello. She was intrigued by the southern accent that Dr. Talbot had, and also the fact she was a doctor.

"What kind of medicine do you practice?" Nicky asked, and Jamie saw his lawyer sister in her daughter. Teddy smiled and said "I'm a veterinarian." Nicky liked the dimple the woman had in her cheek. It made her seem a little less perfect. Jamie asked his niece what they were doing there, and they all chatted about school for a bit.

Nicky really wanted to stay and get more information on Dr. Talbot, but her friends wanted to get their ice cream and get going. She said goodbye to her Uncle and his friend, and went with her friends. On the way back, while Malloy argued with Mark about his comments, she thought about Dr. Talbot.

Her Uncle had looked really happy sitting with her, she thought. The vet was beautiful for sure, and she seemed really nice. Her eyes were incredible and kind at the same time. Nicky knew that her Uncle had been hurt deeply by the breakup with Sydney, and had been lonely since. She thought her Uncle was the type who liked being with someone.

Nicky remembered that when things were unraveling with Sydney, to the point that even she could see the fractures, Uncle Jamie stayed with the relationship. She was sure that Sydney had done the dumping, and she'd heard her Mother and Aunt Linda saying the same thing. They worried about Jamie because he was so kind hearted. Nicky thought that he needed someone who was going to be as nice to him as he was to everyone else.

She decided that she wasn't going to say anything to her family about Uncle Jamie's girl friend. If the situation was revered, she knew she wouldn't want him revealing that information at Sunday dinner. Nicky also hoped that Dr. Talbot was as kind as she seemed, and that maybe things were going to work out for her favorite uncle!

It was Friday afternoon and Danny Reagan was wrapping up some paperwork with his partner Jackie Curatola. It looked like they were going to get the whole weekend off, and he was thrilled. "Thank god that stupid sob ran the red light with a cop right there! Easiest case we've had in a while!" Danny announced and Jackie agreed. They bantered back and forth while they closed the file.

"Hey Reagan, long time no see! You need to come out to the 24th!" A voice said, and Danny turned around to see Det. Paul Ryan from the 24th precinct hailing him. They had been at the academy together, as well as their first beat. "Well it is nice of you to come slumming! Not enough crime in your neck of the woods?" Danny asked as he greeted him, and then introduced Jackie.

Det. Ryan told them he'd come to meet with another detective about a case, and was just leaving. He gave some details, and Danny, along with Jackie, offered some ideas. He got up to leave, and then said "By the way, that girl friend of your brother's is a looker!" Danny looked up in surprise and said "My brother's girl friend?" Jackie hid a smile, realizing that this was the first her partner had heard of it.

"Come on, she's hot! Red hair, blue eyes, creamy perfect skin, a figure to die for, and then that southern accent! Your little brother is a lucky bastard!" Paul Ryan said in an awe struck voice. Danny had recovered his composure and asked "Where did you meet her?" He was hoping for more information.

The detective shook his head and said "Unfortunately, I didn't get to actually meet her! My wife and I were going into the movies as they were coming out. I got a good look at her, and heard her telling your brother something about the movie. He had his arm around her, and she was cuddled right up next to him!" Paul sighed and said "If she'd been with me I would have been holding her close also! Enjoy your weekend!"

After he was gone Jackie laughed and said "You didn't know, did you? That means she has not appeared at Sunday dinner?" Danny was still trying to process what Paul had just said, and told Jackie "No, Jamie hasn't said a word about her! I wonder what her story is?" Jackie sighed, knowing how her partner was about his brother.

"Danny, why does there have to be a story? She is probably a nice girl, and your brother isn't ready to introduce her yet. Or maybe they are not very serious! Come on, your brother is not a monk!" Jackie said in an exasperated tone of voice. She sometimes wondered if the Reagans were really Italian, with how they acted about each other.

Danny looked at her in disbelief as he said "Please remember that this is Jamie we're talking about. He's practically a priest!" Jackie gave him a glare, and said "Didn't he live with that girl he was engaged to?" She didn't understand Irish Catholics most of the time, and the Reagans were extreme. "I think it was more Sydney's idea than Jamie's. She wasn't even catholic!" Danny had said a prayer of thanksgiving when his brother's relationship had ended.

"I don't like it! If she is that beautiful, what is she doing dating Jamie? And a southern accent?" Danny said, as he narrowed his eyes in thought!" Jackie wanted to slap him as she said "Your brother is very good looking, well educated, and just plain nice! Why shouldn't a beautiful woman go out with him?" She paused, and then added "How do you think you would sound, if you went down to the south!"

Danny really wasn't listening, being too busy wondering about who the woman was. "Well, I am going to find out this Sunday!" He announced to Jackie. She sighed loudly and said "Can I give you a piece of advice, good sound advice?" To her mind she sounded like her Mother, which made her cringe. Jackie went on "If I was you, I wouldn't say a word about it!"

"Why shouldn't I? He is my brother?" Danny said in an annoyed tone. Jackie decided that Danny was going to turn her into her Mother. "Haven't you told me you want a better relationship with Jamie?" She asked, and Danny nodded his head, so she went on. "It is your brother's private business, and I don't think he would appreciate you announcing it to everyone else!" Jackie hoped her partner would listen to her, but she somehow doubted it. She'd often wondered what it would be like to be a fly on the wall at one of those Sunday dinners!

It was Sunday after Mass, and the Reagans were eating pot roast with all the trimmings. They had already discussed the week's happenings, including a case that Erin was working on. It was getting a lot of attention in the paper, and everyone had commented on her picture that had been in that day's paper. Danny had been thinking off and on, since Friday, about what Paul Ryan had told him.

Danny understood what Jackie had tried to tell him, but this was his family they were talking about and Jamie in particular. Jamie had always been a source of worry to him, and since he had joined the force it had just intensified. He didn't want to lose Jamie like he had lost Joe, and he didn't want to see his brother get his heart broken again.

He saw his chance when Sean and Jack got into an argument after Sean gave Jack a tough time about some little girl at school who liked him. "She said she liked you! And you ate lunch with her!" Sean said, and Jack looked annoyed as he said "We had a spelling assignment we were working on! She is not my girl friend!" Danny got them settled and then said "On the subject of girl friends, Jamie, when do we get to meet yours?"

Every head at the table turned in his direction, and Jamie really wanted to deck his brother. However, before he could say anything Erin got a smile on her face as she commented "I didn't know you have a girl friend? What is her name?" Erin was excited for her brother, but she wanted to make sure the girl was worthy of Jamie.

"Who did you hear that from?" Jamie asked in a neutral tone, as he cut a piece of pot roast. "My friend from the 24th saw you and the southern belle coming out of the movies." Danny said, and was all set to add more, but Erin got there first. "Southern belle? Was she wearing a hoop skirt?" This was starting to worry her now.

Danny got a knowing look on his face as he said "Paul heard her talking, and I guess she has a, how did he put it, sweet southern accent! He also said she had red hair, blue eyes, and was." Danny stopped, realizing that Linda would kill him if he said the woman was hot. "And was very beautiful!" He finished, but his wife flashed him a look that said she'd known what he was thinking.

Grandpa Henry looked at Jamie with a smile and said "You know your Grandmother was a red head, right? You can't go wrong with a woman with red hair!" Jamie smiled at his Grandfather, imagining the reaction he would have when he met Teddy. "So she is from the south right? Where? And how did you meet her?" Erin asked in rapid succession.

"I think you need to be careful with southern women, Jamie! They are known to be manipulative!" Danny said, wondering what the woman's game really was. Linda had had enough, and felt bad for Jamie being put on the spot like that. "Yea, and New York women aren't anything like that! You need to apologize for that comment!" She told her husband in a cold voice.

Frank Reagan decided the conversation needed to end, and said "We are done with this subject! If Jamie wants us to meet the young lady, I'm sure we will. Until then, it is none of our business." He took a sip of wine and then asked Danny "So what is the story with Sgt. Dillon's retirement?" That got Danny on to the subject of the property clerk in the 12th precinct who had decided to retire after the inventory system had been upgraded yet again.

Nicky looked over at her Uncle, and saw that he was glad the subject had changed. He caught her looking at him, and she smiled. Jamie had been waiting for Nicky to chime in, and when she hadn't it had surprised him. He smiled back at her, but wondered why she'd kept quiet. As he thought about it, she must not have said anything to her Mother either, after the meeting. Jamie knew that Erin would have been all over him like a bad rash if she'd known that Nicky had met Teddy.

Jamie decided that it was probably time to bring Teddy around to meet the family. New York City, in its own way was a small town, in that you did things in the same places and ran into the same people. Nicky had already met her, and as Jamie thought about it, he was surprised that more people had not seen them together. He would talk to Teddy this week, and see if she wanted to come next Sunday.

While Jamie was doing the family thing, Teddy was busy herself. She'd gone to Mass, and then went over to brunch at a co-worker's house. He was one of the vets she worked with, and his wife was from North Carolina. She'd taken Teddy under wing, as one southerner to another, and Teddy had been glad for their friendship.

As they were sipping bloody marys, they were discussing the week's news from the paper. "That case that the Commissioner's daughter is trying is getting lots of ink!" Ed Hamilton said, and Teddy asked what he was referring to. "Erin Reagan-Boyle is the police commissioner's daughter! Her two brothers are police officers too. Danny Reagan is a detective, and the younger one, Jamie Reagan, is a patrol officer!"

Teddy looked at her co-worker in shock, as she processed what he had just said. She put the pieces together in her mind, and as she did so her world shattered.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Teddy's Story**_

She'd managed to make it through brunch, but then excused herself pleading a headache. Teddy got back to her apartment, and sat down on the sofa as she burst into tears. After a while she got up and made herself some tea with shaking hands. She couldn't believe how dumb she'd been, not to know who Jamie was! She was regretting saying yes to him when he invited her for coffee the first time, and even regretting moving to New York!

When she finished in Afghanistan, she'd been at loose ends, not wanting to stay with the army. It had been great because it got her away from anyone who would know her, but by the end she was sure that hell probably looked like Afghanistan. There was nothing for her in New Orleans anymore, if she even wanted to show her face there again, which she didn't.

When the NYPD had recruited her, she figured any city that big would be a good choice. She knew that she'd like the work, and her Grandparents had said they would take care of housing for her. Teddy had been upfront with her boss when he made her the job offer. It was a moot point, because they had already known about her Father. They did say though that they thought highly of her for being honest with them about it.

She'd been in the city for three months when she met Jamie, at the horse barn. By then Teddy was pretty well settled, and had some good friends. Because of her looks she had no problem attracting men, but most of them were not her type. She'd turned down some very successful men, including a sports agent and several hedge fund managers.

Jamie had been kind and funny when she met him the first time. She liked the fact he didn't tease her about her accent, or tell her who he worked for, or how much his last year's bonus was. Teddy had been happy when he'd called her the first time, and as she had gotten to know him better she couldn't believe her luck.

She was religious, old fashioned and very conservative in her values. From the time Teddy was fifteen she knew that most men looked at her as a commodity or prize, because of her looks. Very few were interested in knowing her as a person, and even less seemed to have any kind of faith. Jamie certainly had faith, Teddy knew, from their talks.

Teddy had been surprised when he'd told her the whole story about Sydney, but she understood how men could make bad decisions because of a woman! She also remembered how her Grandmother liked to say that 'boys would be boys', in her tart Aussie accent. By then Teddy was crazy over Jamie anyway, and wasn't going hold his past against him.

His line of work didn't bother her, because she'd grown up in a cop family. She understood the danger, but also knew the satisfaction the job provided. When Jamie had told her that he'd turned his back on a lucrative law career to follow his family's footsteps, she'd thought highly of him. Teddy just couldn't believe how it was all for naught though!

She cared about him too much to get him involved in her family's dirty laundry. Teddy knew the press would have a field day with the fact that police commissioner's son was dating her. She thought about all the press coverage and scrutiny of her family that had gone on four years ago. No stone had been left unturned, and her entire life was laid out for everyone in New Orleans to see.

If the New York press found out that Jamie was involved with her, it would ruin his career, and reflect badly on his Father. She knew he was very close to his family, and greatly admired his Father and Grandfather. Teddy sighed, as she saw the handwriting on the wall. She knew that she needed to act sooner, rather than later. The relationship had gone on too long as it was.

After a sleepless night, Teddy had sent Jamie a message first thing in the morning. She'd not been sure where to deliver the news, but decided on the New York Botanical Garden. It was always calm, very pretty, and offered lots of places for quiet talks. Her heart hurt so badly, even thinking about what she had to do. However, she knew that she couldn't ruin Jamie's life.

Jamie had been thrilled to get Teddy's message about getting together. It had been a long time since he'd been to the Botanical Gardens, but remembered how nice they were. He was wondering if she was going to surprise him with a picnic dinner. Jamie was going to ask her about coming to Sunday dinner next week. He was sure that once his family met her, and got to know her, they would really like her.

Teddy was sitting in the Peggy Rockefeller rose garden, inside the park. She loved this part of the Botanical Gardens best. Its formal layout reminded her of some of the French inspired gardens in her hometown. The colors and the scents were incredible too, and she hoped that maybe they would help cushion the blow for Jamie.

He saw her sitting on a bench, tucked into a corner and waved at her. Jamie thought she looked so pretty sitting there, wearing a creamy lace top that highlighted her skin and hair. He loved it when she wore her hair down, giving him the chance to play with it. It always reminded him of dancing flames when the sunlight hit it.

She looked up and saw him walking towards her, looking so handsome in his uniform. The blue complimented his blue eyes, and the sun was glinting off his blonde hair. Teddy admired his looks, and his well toned body. Before she had found out who his Father was, she'd sent a picture of him to her sister and Grandmother, who'd given her thumbs up approval. What she appreciated the most though, was what a good person he was. Teddy reminded herself she needed to be strong.

That went right out of her mind when he sat down next to her, put his arms around her, and kissed her. Without a second thought Teddy moved in close to him as she wrapped her arms around his chest. His tongue entered her mouth and started exploring with an intensity that caused waves of excitement in Teddy's body.

Jamie felt her respond to the kiss, and he tightened his hold, letting one of his hands stroke the back of her neck as he pushed her closer. She was amazing, and he still sometimes couldn't believe that she was going out with him. All of a sudden he didn't care that they were out in public, he only wanted to be as close to her as possible.

Teddy felt the change in him, and realized what was happening, and why they were there. She broke off the kiss, her body protesting as she did so. "I think that is enough, Jamie." She managed to say, trying to catch her breath. Jamie looked at her flushed cheeks and shining eyes, and wished he was still kissing her. He decided it was for the best though, all things considered.

"There is probably a law against making out with a cop in uniform, in public, anyway!" Jamie told her, but keeping his arms around her shoulders. "Shh, don't give your Mayor anymore ideas!" Teddy said, flashing her dimple. He loved her sense of humor, and laughed at that. "I think you should invite him down to New Orleans, Teddy. Maybe it would relax him some!" He told her, and she smiled sadly at his comment.

She sat up straight, and took his arms from her shoulders, but kept holding his hands. "Jamie, we need to talk about something serious." He started to be worried, wondering what was going on. He wondered if she was concerned about his intentions towards her. "What do you want to talk about, honey?" He asked, trying to stay calm.

"You never told me that your Father was the Police Commissioner, Jamie!" Teddy said, in a very sad tone. He was shocked at that statement, not understanding why it was an issue. "I just assumed you knew about my family. Everyone else does." Jamie was still trying to figure out what she was upset about. He could tell that she was upset by her eyes.

Teddy bit her lip and said "Jamie, I would never have gone out with you if I'd known!" It was said with anguish, and he squeezed her hands as he said "Honey, what is the matter? I adore you! And my family will too!" She felt tears start to fill her eyes, and it took everything to control them. This was going to be worse than she'd thought.

"Jamie, I haven't lied to you, but I haven't told you everything about me." Teddy said in a tremulous voice. He was getting very scared now, and wondering what this was about. "Teddy, what is going on? Are you all right?" Jamie said in an anxious tone. She just wanted to die, she thought. _'I'm about to break his heart, and all he can think about is me.'_

"Do you remember how you commented once that it was easy to talk to me about your job, Jamie?" Teddy asked, deciding to start with the easiest first. Jamie said "Yes, you understand what goes on! But you work with cops." Teddy sighed and said "It's more than that. My Father was a police officer!" She waited for his reaction.

Jamie thought about what she'd just said, and it made sense. She'd been really comfortable with him, and had known lots of little stuff that only someone who'd been exposed to the cop world would know. However, he didn't see what the problem was, and said as much to her.

Teddy's shoulders sagged, and knew she now had to dredge up all the dirt. "Jamie, my Father was Chief of Police in New Orleans, until four years ago. He is now serving eight years for fraud and corruption in a federal prison!" Teddy said, not even taking a breath as she did. She truly thought she would have thrown up if she'd had anything in her stomach. "Even up here you must have heard the story of Henry Talbot! The newspapers talked about nothing else, in the whole south. I'm pretty sure the trial made the national news at least once!"

He was truly stunned, and his mind went blank as he tried to think about what she'd told him. Jamie was sure that he'd not heard anything about that, but he was in law school at the time, in Boston. He looked at her, and didn't like how pale she looked, or how hard she was breathing. He was wondering if she was going to faint.

"Honey, are you all right? You don't look well!" Jamie said, putting his arms around her. She looked up at him in disbelief and said "How can you be so nice? After what I've told you?" Teddy laid her head on his shoulder, inhaling the way he smelled. It was so comforting to be held by him, but after a bit she realized he needed to hear the rest.

She sat up and said "You have to know that he'd never been dirty before Jamie! And that is saying a lot in New Orleans! There are a lot of dirty cops in the city!" He smiled ruefully, and said "Teddy, there are dirty cops everywhere!" She nodded her head, and went on. "Right around the time my Mom died, we were all out of the house. My Sister married a naval officer and was in Japan, my Brother was at the seminary, and I was at vet school in Colorado."

Jamie nodded his head, and let her continue. "My Dad was very lonely, and work wasn't enough. He met a woman; a very young, attractive woman." Teddy sighed, and then said "She paid him a lot of attention, and he really liked it. Unfortunately, she had very expensive tastes and expected my Father to fulfill them. They started out small, his transgressions, and then they snowballed!"

"So what finally happened?" Jamie asked, knowing that it usually did start out small. "The short version is that he got caught in a sting, and was arrested. At that point he was willing to plead guilty, make restitution, and resign. There would have been no scandal to the department!" Teddy said, looking off in the distance.

He was just plain curious now, and waited for her to go on. "The problem was that the District Attorney was coming up on a re-election year, and he didn't like my Father!" Jamie suddenly saw where this was going, and took her hands as he said "The DA decided that prosecuting your Father was his re-election campaign, right?"

Teddy gave him a knowing look and said "You hit the nail on the head. The trial took three months, and every detail of my Father's affair was made public! What they did, where they went, what he bought her! It was like a bad dream that never ended. My Dad never denied any of it; he just sat there looking sad. By the end of the trial the Judge felt sorry for him, and that, along with the fact that the Judge hated the DA, saved by Dad from more prison time."

Jamie now saw why she was so upset, and felt very bad for her! He was very impressed with her loyalty though when she said "He is still my Father, in spite of everything he did. I sat through the trial, and I've visited him in prison several times, since I've been back. I'm not going to turn my back on him." He interlaced his fingers with hers and said "Teddy, you are a truly wonderful person!" She sighed, realizing he wasn't getting it.

"I didn't mention that the DA was the Father of my boy friend. It was well known that we had dated, and there had been talk of marriage. When the papers were not raking over my Father's life, they were speculating about mine." Teddy said, and she added "His Father sent him away to the Peace Corps, so his future would not be tainted by associating with me. I knew what kind of person he was when he didn't even say goodbye to me, but slunk out of town. The papers loved that!"

Jamie looked at her and said "I'm glad you told me, honey, but what does that have to do with us?" She looked at him with a horrified expression, and then removed her hands from his. "Jamie, don't you understand, if it gets out that you are seeing me, the press will rake up everything from the trial. Your career will be ruined, and it won't look good for your Father either!"

Teddy took a very deep breath and said "Jamie, I care about you too much to ruin your life, or your family's. I can't see you anymore, and I want you to understand why. Go home, look it all up on the internet. A week from now you will be glad that we're done." She stood up, and looked down at him with sorrow and pain. "I'm so sorry Jamie; I wish it hadn't ended like this!"

She was gone before he could stop her. Jamie sat on the bench for at least an hour, feeling shock, and sadness. He realized how she meant to him, and the thought of not seeing her again hurt like nothing he'd ever felt before.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: Thank you to my reviewers! Glad you like the story!**_

_**Coming to Terms**_

It was Wednesday evening, late, and Jamie was heading over to his Father's. It had been almost two days since Teddy had told him her story, and he was sure that they were the worst two days of his life. Even breaking up with Sydney had not felt like this, and they'd been engaged! Jamie had tried to call Teddy a couple of times, but she wasn't picking up. He was tempted to go by her apartment, but decided not to barge in on her.

Since he couldn't sleep anyway, he'd spent his nights reviewing the trial on the internet. Jamie felt very sorry for Teddy and her siblings. It was one thing to have your Father make a fool of himself over a young woman, but then to have it made public in such a public way, he saw how bad it was! Compounding it was that Henry Talbot had committed crimes to finance the relationship, and lost his job.

Jamie had decided that his Father had nothing to complain about with the New York press, after reading the coverage from New Orleans. He wasn't sure why the color of the negligee that the Chief had bought his girlfriend was important to the trial, but it was talked about anyway. He thought about a law school classmate, who was from Louisiana. He'd liked to maintain that the bayou made people visiting New Orleans crazy, and the ones who lived there were even crazier!

About the time he was reading about Teddy and the District Attorney's son, he was starting to wonder if the whole case could even be real. It sounded more like a badly made for TV movie, about how inter-related and corrupt the south was. Jamie picked up that the papers really didn't like the DA, and had a field day with his son's relationship with the disgraced Chief's daughter.

He learned several things about Teddy that he hadn't known, including the fact that she'd been first runner-up in the Junior Miss Louisiana pageant when she was seventeen. He saw a picture of her in a white dress, graduating from the Ursuline Academy with honors. Teddy had majored in bio-chemistry at LSU, and been a member of Chi Omega. There was a picture of her as the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, and the DA's son as her escort and president of the house.

The press had had a field day with that fact, and he learned way more about the Greek system than he'd really needed to know. Teddy's religious beliefs were discussed in great depth, and lots of 'anonymous' sources were quoted. The press announced that she was a virgin, and did not believe in sex before marriage. Jamie wasn't quite sure why that was being talked about in news coverage related to her Father's trial. He was also sure that the ex-boyfriend was spineless, and totally under his daddy's thumb.

However, after almost an all night of reading over dramatic southern journalism, the only conclusion that Jamie came to was that it had been a slow news season, and the DA was concerned about his chances in the election. Jamie took pleasure in finding out that the guy had been soundly defeated.

Jamie could understand Teddy's fears about the New York press getting hold of it, but he really didn't think it would amount to anything. This was not New Orleans, and a dirty cop in New York City was old hat. He wished he could get her to understand that, and that he would stand by her. By Wednesday night he was ready to do almost anything to get her back. That is when he decided to go talk to his Father. Maybe Teddy was right, and he wasn't seeing the big picture.

When Jamie arrived at the house, he saw the light in the kitchen was on, and knew that his Dad was working at the table. After hellos and some chit chat, Frank decided to find out why his youngest son was visiting him at 10:00 at night. "Have you missed me so much that you needed to stop by? Or something else? Can I offer you a drink, Jamie?"

"A beer would be great!" Jamie said, and Frank got one for both of them. "I need to talk to you about something Dad." He said, after taking a long swig of his beer. Frank looked at him and nodded his head. "It concerns the woman I've been seeing." He said, and watched as his Dad smiled. "The red haired southern belle your Grandfather is hoping to meet?"

Jamie smiled, and for a minute Frank saw the unhappiness leave his son's face as he said "Yes, that one!" The sadness came back into the blue eyes as Jamie said "Now that she has found out who my Father is, well she doesn't want to see me anymore!" Frank gave his son a long, serious look and then said "Does she hate me that much? Usually people have to spend some time with me before that happens!"

To Jamie's mind that sounded like something Teddy would say, and he saw how they both had the same dry sense of humor. He realized that not only would his Grandfather like Teddy, but so would his Dad! Pushing that thought out of his mind, he said "It isn't just you, it is also her Father." Frank was by now intrigued and said "Why is her Father an issue?"

He wanted to see if the name meant anything to his Dad. As Police Commissioner of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country, Jamie knew that his Father had access to all kinds of information about police departments across the nation. "Her Father is Henry Talbot!"

Frank looked at his youngest son, and wondered where this was leading. As he did so, various thoughts about Jamie flashed in his mind. He knew that Jamie had been his wife's favorite, conceived when she'd thought she was done with babies. Frank had watched Jamie grow up, and marveled at how far the young man had come.

The Harvard lawyer to cop transition had been a surprise, but he knew from the look in Jamie's eyes that it had been the right decision. The only decision that Frank questioned was Sydney, but by then he knew enough about his kids to understand that at some point you had to step back. Frank could see how a woman like Sydney Davenport would be a proper wife for an upcoming lawyer.

Frank had never been able to understand how his very religious son could end up living with a protestant he wasn't married to. He'd finally put it down to Jamie embracing the values of the world he wanted. Sydney was not a bad person, and certainly very pretty in a porcelain doll kind of way. She was smart, ambitious, and well connected, and he knew his son could have done a lot worse. Only sometimes, late at night, did he think his son could have done better!

Jamie had never told anyone why the relationship had ended, and only indirectly had Frank found out that she'd taken a job in London. He knew that no one in the family felt bad about the relationship ending, but Frank thought they were too hard on Sydney. The girl, and he always thought of her as a girl, had signed on for one thing, and gotten something else.

He knew that a lot of women would have been glad to date the Police Commissioner's son, so Frank found it interesting that Jamie had managed to find one that didn't want to. He took a deep breath, and thought about the name Henry Talbot. Obviously, he had something to do with the south, based on the southern belle comment that Danny had thrown out at dinner.

The thought of Danny opened up a whole different train of thought, but Frank shut it down. Jamie needed him right now, and he couldn't dwell on Danny's problems. Frank got back to Henry Talbot, and the south. The name was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it at first. He started going through major cities in the south, and when he got to New Orleans the connection was made.

Frank knew that something had happened with the New Orleans police department several years ago, and the name of Henry Talbot was involved. He remembered hearing how, almost eight or ten years ago, a new police chief had come into the job. The man, Frank remembered hearing, had done a lot of good things for the police department. Those included better controls and chain of custody issues, which had been sorely needed.

It took Frank another two minutes before he knew why the name of Henry Talbot caused mental alarm bells. He sighed and said "Oh, Henry Talbot." Jamie looked up at his Father with concern. If his Father recognized the name, that was not a good sign. "Please be honest with me about him, Dad!" Jamie said in a serious tone of voice.

"Henry Talbot was a good man, a good cop, and a great police chief! He overhauled the department, and brought it into the 21st century!" Frank began, thinking about what the man must have dealt with. "My understanding is that he ran afoul of the District Attorney at the same time he was using confiscated drug money to pay for his mistress."

Jamie understood what his Father was telling him, and what Teddy had said also. "She says she can't see me anymore because if the press gets hold of it, it will ruin my career, and hurt you!" Jamie told his Father, in a very dejected tone of voice. "So the young lady is concerned about your career, and mine? I think that is admirable! Why don't you tell me about her?" Frank was very interested to see what his son was going to tell him about Henry Talbot's daughter.

For Jamie, it felt like the flood gates had been released! He told his Father everything about Teddy, from her background to what he'd learned from the internet research he'd done, and the talk they'd had on Monday night. It was around the time that Jamie was stating_ 'I think I'm in love with her, and would do anything to get her back'_ that he thought of his late wife.

She'd stated, on more than one occasion, that God was a woman with a bad sense of humor. Frank looked at Jamie now and saw what his wife had always said. He wanted to tell Jamie that he was way beyond thinking about being in love with Teddy, already being totally in love with her. He'd turned his back on a lucrative career as a lawyer, to be a police officer, losing a beautiful WASP fiancée who would have made him a perfect wife. Now as a cop, Jamie had fallen in love with a Police Chief's daughter, and was considering going back to a law career to have her.

Frank decided that this Teddy must be quite special, because she was willing to walk away from the relationship rather than compromise Jamie's career. It was the reasoning of a woman who understood the calling, and the kind of thinking he would have expected of a police officer's daughter. Frank also was glad to hear about Teddy's religious beliefs. He knew his son needed a woman with those values.

"Jamie, you look like hell! When was the last time you slept?" Frank asked, and his son said "I've not felt like sleeping, so I've been looking up the story on the internet." Frank took the half drunk beer away and said "You've told me how religious Teddy is, and I know how much faith you have!" Jamie looked at his Father, and he went on "Jamie, you need to go home and sleep!"

His son was all set to protest, but Frank stopped him. "Look at it from her point of view Jamie! She meets a nice guy, and you all hit it off. You never tell her about yourself, just assuming because everyone else knows about our family, she should!" Jamie looked at his Father in shock, but he wasn't done.

"She has had not only her Father raked over the coals, but her life too! Look at it objectively, why would she want someone who was one step away from the limelight!" Frank told his son, and saw him get a very wide eyed look. "Go home, say your prayers, and trust God! Teddy has had more than one major upset in her life. She needs time to understand it, and I think you care enough about her to give her that time!"

Jamie thought about what his Father had said, and then asked "You don't think it would be a problem that I'm involved with her?" Frank smiled and said "I think it will be barely a day's worth of interest before something else happens. But I will back your judgment all the way son!" Jamie and his Dad hugged, and he went home. After saying a Rosary, he fell asleep, seeing Teddy's face in his mind.


	7. Chapter 7

_**The Big Weekend**_

It was early Saturday morning, and Frank was on his favorite pier, fishing. He never caught anything, and never thought he would. Rather it was a way to clear his mind of everything that had happened during the week. Today though, he also had another purpose in mind, for his fishing expedition.

After the late night talk with Jamie, Frank had looked up the case on the internet. He agreed with his son that he had no reason to complain about the press in New York, having read what came out of New Orleans. Lurid details were favored, and he wondered how many of the reporters moonlighted for the tabloids. Frank had a good chuckle thinking about how Garrett would deal with the southern reporters.

Henry Talbot's trial coverage had a soap opera quality to it that a TV show would have loved. Frank called a contact down south, to see if he could get an objective opinion of the matter. What his contact had told him was pretty much what he'd remembered, and told Jamie. However, after reading everything he understood Teddy's fears about more press coverage.

Frank was thinking those thoughts when a soft voice with a southern accent said "Commissioner Reagan?" He turned around to see a very beautiful woman looking at him. She had glowing red hair that was casually pulled back in an up pony tail, intense blue eyes, and creamy skin. Frank mentally gave Jamie high marks for good taste as he looked at her.

He noticed that she was dressed for actual fishing, and not just standing around. The woman was wearing a well worn pair of khakis, a navy plaid shirt, and some kind of light weight, waterproof jacket in a camel color. It was cold and windy early in the morning on the pier, in spite of it being summer, but she was prepared for it. She had on some waterproof moccasin type shoes that were also well worn.

"You must be Dr. Talbot. It is nice to meet you!" Frank said, extending his hand. She took it, and he noticed how tall she was. "Please call me Teddy, Commissioner." She said in her soft accent, and Frank remembered his son's reference to honey being poured over warm bread. "Fine Teddy, but then you need to call me Frank!" She smiled, showing her dimple, which enchanted him.

Frank decided to start the conversation out slowly and asked "It looks like you've been fishing before." Teddy laughed and said "No one with my coloring sits out in the sun! I used to hunt when I lived in Louisiana, so I figured the clothes would work for fishing." Frank looked at her with interest and asked "What type of hunting?"

It turned out that she'd been a bird hunter, mostly ducks in the marshes of her home state. They chatted about different birds, and he could tell that she was very accomplished, and a good shot. Frank was impressed that she was willing to sit in a duck blind, and not fuss about the bugs. He showed her how to bait the hook, and cast, which she managed to do after a couple of tries.

"So, you've been seeing my son, Teddy." Frank said, deciding to get on with business. He knew he would have been happy to talk to her all day, between her accent and that dimple when she smiled. He now understood why his son was upset at the thought of losing her. And that wasn't taking into account everything else about her.

Teddy sighed sadly and said "Frank, if I'd known Jamie was your son, I would never have gone out with him! Really!" She was still mentally kicking herself for not finding out who Jamie was. Frank heard the sadness in her voice and asked "Why did you go out with him?" He wanted to hear the story from her point of view.

She looked at him, not understanding what he was asking. Frank smiled and said "You are a beautiful woman, whom I'm sure has any number of very successful men who want to take you out! My son is a police officer." Teddy got a soft look on her face, as she said "Your son is nice, kind, and cute. When I met him he didn't tell me how important he was, or what his bonus last year was, or the kind of thing those successful men tell me!"

"He didn't even tell about Harvard law until I was out with him! It is rare to meet someone who is truly a good person! It's nice because we have the same values too!" Teddy finished, and Frank looked at her with an approving smile. "Frank, I'm not going to ruin his career! That is why I can't see him anymore!" Teddy declared, looking off into the distance.

Frank adjusted his fishing rod and said "I looked at the coverage of your Father's trial, just so you know." Teddy's shoulders sagged, and she hung her head. He went on "Your Father's story was very sad, and the coverage very tawdry. However, I noticed something very important." Teddy looked at him, and waited for him to go on.

"You and your siblings went to court every day during the trial. You sat there hearing things a son or daughter should not have to hear about their Father! I admire you for that, Teddy. I've seen cops do much less than what your Father did, and their families abandon them." Frank told her in a serious tone, and then added "Jamie tells me you've been to see your Father in prison too."

Teddy looked away for a moment, and then said "Emily, Harry, and I, after we got over our anger, felt very bad for our Father. He loved our Mum very much, and he was lonely with all of us out of the house." She added "Our Mum would never have forgiven us if we'd turned our backs on him when he was down."

He smiled at her and said "Your behavior shows me that you are a very loyal person, Teddy! Loyalty is greatly prized in the Reagan family." She looked up at him, and for a minute he wondered if she was going to cry. It came to him that she'd probably not had anyone, besides her family, who'd told her they admired her behavior. Frank saw that she was not only loyal, but strong too.

"Is the only reason you don't want to see Jamie anymore is because you are concerned about the scandal?" He asked her, and Teddy nodded her head. Frank smiled and said "This is not New Orleans, and our journalists do not go in for the kind of reporting they do down south." She was all set to say something, but Frank went on. "Yes, when it gets out that Jamie is seeing you, your Father's name will come up. I won't lie about that, Teddy."

Frank hoped he would phrase this next part right, for Jamie's sake. "His tenure as police chief in New Orleans will be mentioned and the fact that he is serving time in a federal prison. If any details are given, it will be the bare minimum because at the end of the day it is yesterday's news!" Teddy thought about that, and then said "But all the old coverage is out there, for anyone to look up!" He nodded his head, and then said "Teddy, it is tabloid journalism, and most people will see through it. At the end of the day, you are a cop's daughter, and you stood by him. That is what is going to count in Jamie's world!"

He laughed and said "Trust me when I say that we have more than a few cops here in the big apple that are living in glass houses themselves!" Teddy remembered what Jamie had told her, and she smiled at that, knowing it was true. She got serious and said "But what about someone who reads it all, and gets really upset about it?"

"Those people are loose cannons, and you can't do anything about them! Hold you head high, and know that Jamie and I will stand by you!" Frank told her, meaning every word of it. He then said "My last word on this subject is that I hope you will reconsider seeing Jamie. I think you two were meant for each other!"

Teddy thought about that, and looked at the distinguished man standing next to her. He reminded her of her Father, before everything had happened, and her Grandfather Peter. "Thank you for what you've said Frank! I will think about it really hard!" Teddy said in a low voice. Frank decided to change the subject and asked "Maybe you, as a Cajun, can explain the whole crawfish eating thing to me! Do you really rip the heads off, and suck out the inners?" She laughed, and Frank liked how the sound carried out over the water.

They enjoyed a nice chat for another half hour, and when they parted Frank hoped that he would see Teddy at Sunday dinner. She would be a welcome addition to the family! He was also looking forward to his Father's reaction when he met her. Frank finished his fishing with no fish, but in a happy frame of mind. Only later would his remark about loose cannons come back to haunt him.

It was Sunday morning, around 7:00am and Jamie had already worked out and gotten dressed for church. The problem was that Mass was at 10:30am, and he had nothing to do for the next three and a half hours. Teddy had sent him a text message, last night, saying she wanted to talk to him after all of his Sunday activities. Jamie was hopeful that since she was reaching out to him, she had rethought her decision not to see him again.

He'd given a lot of thought to what his Father had said, about her being surprised by finding out who his family was. Jamie saw how he spent so much time waiting for the reference, from whomever, about his Father, that he was hypersensitive. He'd been way too wrapped up in himself to realize that not everyone thought about his family all the time. Jamie, by Friday, really wanted to talk to Teddy and compare their experiences. They were both saddled with their Father's actions, but for different reasons.

Jamie had missed her so much, but had tried to do what his Dad had said, to give her space. When the message had come through Saturday night, he would have raced right over to see her. However, he didn't get off until 9:00pm, and thought it was a little late to show up unannounced! Instead he'd gone to the gym and worked out, and then had come home and fallen asleep. The next morning, at 7:45am, he was jumping out of his skin, without having had any coffee at all. He decided to go see her, knowing she got up early every day.

He was dressed in a well tailored pair of fawn colored trousers, a muted plaid shirt of blues, greens, and creams, and English tasseled loafers. It had been his second year of law school when he'd found out how lacking his wardrobe was. Hamilton Dundon had been a visiting student from Bermuda, via Oxford University. He was black, but from an old colonial family that had been knighted after World War II for their service.

Jamie always enjoyed meeting people, and Hamilton was fascinating and lots of fun. He was gay, but that didn't bother Jamie in the least. Jamie had seen it all, between living in the city, and his family's stories of life on the streets. He showed Hamilton New York, and Hamilton educated him on how a gentleman dresses.

Hamilton spent a year at Harvard, and by the time he left, Jamie knew about good shoes and proper tailoring. They still communicated all the time, Hamilton now being an upcoming player in the Bermudian legal system.

The lobby attendant in Teddy's building recognized him with a smile, liking how the kind Dr. Talbot had such a well mannered gentleman interested in her. This young man never stayed past 11:00pm, or acted stuck up. "Would you like me to buzz her, or is she expecting you?" Before Jamie could answer an older woman wearing too much makeup and jewelry, clutching a small bulging eyed dog came up to the desk. She was upset about something, and Jamie gave the attendant a knowing smile as he headed to the elevator.

Once he got upstairs he knocked on Teddy's door and waited for an answer. He saw the door open barely a crack, and a soft voice said "Can I help you?" Jamie liked how slow her accent was, and he said "Well honey, I hope you'll talk to me!" He heard the intake of breath, and the door close for a minute. He heard some chains moving, and then it opened wider.

Teddy was standing there, in a sapphire blue camisole trimmed with lace, and some shorts that were the same blue and pale pink in a floral print. Her hair was loose and rather curly, falling to below her shoulders. She looked totally adorable, and he suddenly decided that if he had to go be a lawyer to be with her, it would be worth it.

"Jamie, what are you doing here?" Teddy said, puzzled why he was at her door this early in the morning. "Teddy, I've missed you, and you said you wanted to talk to me!" He told her, and hoped that he'd not done the wrong thing by showing up like this.

Teddy had given Frank's comments a lot of thought, and then had talked to her Grandparents, especially her Grandmum. There was nothing like being slapped up the side of the head by a seventy year old woman with a tart Aussie accent. Teddy realized that Jamie and his Dad didn't care about the mess her Father had made. Grandmum had told her to get over herself and make up to her young man, for she'd never find another one like him.

Teddy looked at Jamie standing there, hopeful and worried at the same time. It had been an awful week, knowing that she couldn't see him again. Frank's conversation had helped her, and she'd had the whole conversation planned out, to take place on Sunday evening in a controlled location.

However, having Jamie at her door, looking so handsome, her logical thought processes went out the window. She started to cry as she fell into Jamie's arms, just wanting him to hold her. He felt her warm body against his, as her arms wrapped around his neck. He pulled her against him, as he came into the room, closing the door behind him.

Teddy felt herself being lifted up, and then they were on the sofa, and she was sitting in Jamie's lap. He was kissing her deep and hard, while their tongues dueled with a hungry intensity. Her hands were ruffling his hair, while his were slowly moving up and down her back, enjoying the response he was getting.

They broke to take a breath, and Jamie asked her "Does this mean you have reconsidered going out with me?" Teddy was breathing hard, and said "Yes, I have reconsidered, and I don't want to lose you Jamie!" He smiled and asked "What caused this change of heart?" She giggled as she nuzzled against his neck. "I went fishing with your Father yesterday! And then my Grandmum slapped me up the side of my head!"

Jamie was enjoying her nuzzling against his neck, feeling her eyelashes and soft breath on his skin. It was affecting him on a deep, primal level, and he knew that he wanted her with an intensity he'd never felt before. Sydney had never touched him at the level that Teddy was, and he suddenly understood what love really was.

"You and my Dad went fishing? I'm quite impressed Teddy, hardly anyone gets invited to that!" Jamie was awestruck that his Father had reached out to Teddy like he had. He knew that his Dad must have decided that Teddy was special enough for the honor. Jamie was thrilled that his Dad had done it, and that Teddy had understood the significance of it.

Jamie played with her hair and said "My Father is a good judge of character, and it sounds like your, what did you call her?" Teddy had her arms around Jamie's neck and she raised her head saying "Grandmum! It is rather British, but she is from Australia. I always called my Mother Mum, for the same reason!" Jamie smiled and said "I think your Grandmum is an awesome person, and I want to meet her!"

"Oh, she so wants to meet you too! As does my Grandfather!" Teddy told him with a smile. Then she got serious and said "My Father and I write each other all time." She left it hanging out there and Jamie asked "What does he think?" Teddy looked him in the eye as she said "He thinks that a son of Frank Reagan must be a good man, and that I need to give you a chance." Jamie thought about that, and then Teddy said "At some point, he'd like to meet you!"

Jamie smiled at her, liking how worried she looked as she said it. "Honey, I will go with you to visit your Dad! I want to meet him because he is your Father, and I understand that he was a good cop!" By now Teddy was overcome with emotion, and moved closer against him in happiness. She was amazed that everything was working out so well.

He was enjoying having her on his lap, those deep emotions hitting his body. Jamie started putting light kisses just below her ear, and moving down to her neck. He loved the way she smelled, and started licking a spot before he lightly kissed it. Teddy arched her neck to give him more space, and at some point he realized that she'd been asleep before he'd woke her up.

Jamie started thinking about how wonderful it would be to wake up with her in the morning, knowing if he put his hands under her camisole what reaction he would get. Teddy was moving against him in the way that a woman moved against a man she loved and trusted. He realized that she was very innocent, and he needed to honor that.

Teddy heard Jamie groan as he pulled back, and for some reason it thrilled her core even more than what they'd been doing. "Teddy, if I'm going to keep to my good intentions, you need to get out of my lap and get dressed! She looked at him, breathing hard with narrowed eyes, and she realized what she was wearing!

She jumped up, blushing a deep red as she did so. Jamie saw it and laughed "Honey, don't be embarrassed, I think it is wonderful! However, I think we need to table it until another time! Would you like to go to Mass with my family, and then come to Sunday dinner?" Teddy looked at him, suddenly enjoying how he was looking at her, with desire.

"Yes, I think going to Mass is a very good idea, Jamie Reagan!" Teddy announced in a firm tone as she tossed her hair. Jamie thought he was the luckiest man in the world as he looked at her. "The coffee pot is set up, so help yourself. What time do we have to leave?" She asked Jamie. He told her, and Teddy tossed her flame colored curls again before she left the room.

He got some coffee, and remembered seeing the New York Times outside the door. Jamie brought it in, and sat down at a beautiful round table in the dining room. He was on his second cup of coffee and almost done with the paper when Teddy came into the room. Jamie looked at her and got a big smile on his face. His Grandfather was going to be over the moon with Teddy.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note: I have had company, so I was not able to write as much as I usually do, so I apologize for the delay! This chapter is rather long, but it does have a family dinner scene in it! Everyone also learns what the 'Teddy' is short for; hint- it starts with 'E'.**_

_**Teddy's lace dress is from 'The Shabby Apple', an on-line retailer. The dress is the 'Love Me Do' from the lace collection. Her cross is based on several old jewelry designs.**_

_**Meeting the Family**_

Jamie and Teddy walked into Church just as the priest was getting ready to walk down the aisle. Fr. Coleman saw the couple and smiled at them. He and Jamie were close, and he'd heard a little bit about Teddy already. Seeing her, he decided that God and Jamie's Mother were very happy with how things had turned out.

"That is Fr. Coleman, our parish priest and a good man." Jamie told her, as he put his hand on her back. "I'll look forward to meeting him. He looks very kind." She said with a smile, and he was overcome with happiness that he'd found a woman like her, that he could share his faith with. "Teddy, have I told you that I love you." Jamie whispered in her ear. She looked at him with large eyes, and then she got a happy smile on her face. "You have now, and Jamie, I love you too!"

Jamie suddenly wanted to kiss her, and then realized that Fr. Coleman was waiting for them to go in, so he could start the processional. "Remind me to kiss you later!" Jamie said, and he saw her blue eyes twinkle as she tossed her head and said "Yea, I don't think making out in the vestibule of the Church is a good idea!" Fr. Coleman waited for them to get seated, while he mentally wondered how long their engagement was likely to be.

Teddy was wearing a short sleeve princess line dress of apple green lace, with cream underneath. It fit her well, but was very ladylike also. Her red hair was pulled back at the top in loops, with the rest loosely curling below her shoulders. The overhead lights made her hair look like dancing flames, and the apple green lace set it off perfectly. She wore her gold, diamond, and pearl cross, pearl earrings, and a gold bracelet watch made from antique cufflinks.

Jamie thought she looked beautiful, and like summer sunshine. He was very proud to be seen with her, and was glad that she dressed so pretty and tasteful. He'd not always been comfortable with some of Sydney's outfits, and she'd never come to Mass with him. Jamie had asked her once, but she wasn't interested. Thinking that he put his hand on Teddy's back as he guided her over to where his family was sitting.

He'd sent his Dad a quick text message earlier, to let him know they were coming, and saw now that there was space in the pew for them. Jamie wished he had a video camera to record the looks on his family's faces when they saw Teddy. His Dad and Nicky smiled at them, while Erin and Linda smiled with curiosity. Danny looked at her like she was a suspect, and Grandpa Henry was looking at her, his eyes missing nothing.

Frank had to keep from laughing out loud, when, after Communion, his Dad managed to switch around so he was sitting next to Teddy. Jamie had had his arm around Teddy during the sermon, and when they were kneeling together it'd felt so right. He was holding her hand now, as his Grandfather was smiling at her.

They left the pew, and greeted Fr. Coleman on the way out. He chatted with them for a bit, while the rest of the Reagans went outside. "Danny, your friend was right, she is gorgeous." Linda said with a smile, to which Danny barely nodded. Erin said "I can hardly wait to meet her! Jamie is totally smitten, did you see him?"

"I saw him, and Dad, I saw you too! Don't you think you're a little too old to be looking at her like that?" Frank said to his Dad with a teasing smile. Grandpa Henry replied "Francis, you are never too old! My grandson is a lucky man!" At that moment Jamie and Teddy came over and introductions were made. After some talking, it was decided to go back to the house. Grandpa Henry announced that he would ride with Jamie and Teddy. Frank wanted to roll his eyes but didn't, thinking about how much his Father had loved his Mother.

Everyone else made it back to the house first, because Grandpa Henry always wanted to visit his wife's grave after Mass. Jamie had known what his Grandfather wanted, and he appreciated that Teddy seemed to understand his feelings. She asked the older man about his wife, including personal details that a woman would understand.

At the house they were setting the table and speculating about Teddy. Linda was blown away by Teddy, being so beautiful, yet at the same time she sensed a deep faith in the woman. At one point during Mass her two boys had gotten into a tussle over the hymnal, and Linda saw Teddy looking at them with laughter in her eyes. Very few people understood raising boys, but watching Teddy look at her boys, she'd not seen the disapproving looks she sometimes got.

Erin was beside herself with curiosity, but also understood that the Reagan family scrutiny could be intense. Teddy was beautiful, and she liked how she and Jamie looked at each other, with happiness. Erin remembered that even when things were good between her Brother and Sydney, there had always been a tightness, or stiffness between them. It was like every gesture was measured and careful, not spontaneous and joyful.

"Where do you suppose he met the fair Miss Talbot?" Erin asked in a teasing voice. Nicky looked up from the table, where she was laying out silverware, and said "Mom, its Dr. Talbot! She is a veterinarian!" Erin looked over at her daughter and said "How do you know this?" Nicky decided to pull her Mom's chain some.

In a very casual voice she said "Oh, I met her a while ago!" By now every Reagan was staring at Nicky, but she pretended not to notice. "Just how long is 'a while ago'?" Erin said, not realizing she sounded like she was questioning a witness. "I ran into them at Ronnybrook's ice cream place, about a month ago." Nicky said in a matter of fact tone.

Erin couldn't believe that her daughter had kept a piece of news like that to herself, and said as much. "But Mom, you're always telling to respect other people's privacy!" Nicky said, with a satisfied note in her voice. Danny laughed and said "Sis, she has you there!" Nicky laughed and then said "Mallory and her boyfriend Mark were with me when we met them. It was really cute; they were sitting together, sharing some ice cream. Uncle Jamie had his arm around her."

"Adorable!" Danny said with a snort. Nicky went on "It was too funny because Mark said that Dr. Talbot was hot, and Mallory got upset. They got into a fight over it!" Erin was torn between wanting more details about the encounter, and Mallory. The need to keep tabs on her daughter's social life won out as she asked "When did Mallory get a boyfriend?"

Nicky sighed and said "They've been going out for a while, Mom! He is very nice, and has good taste in music!" Erin got a concerned look on her face as she said "I don't think he should be saying that a woman is hot!" Danny laughed at his sister's comment and said "The boy is what, sixteen?" Nicky nodded and he went on. "I'd be more concerned if he wasn't looking at women! That is when you have a problem!"

Erin wished that someone would understand her concerns about Nicky! She'd never thought that she would be raising a teenage girl alone. Her ex-husband was either working, or off with some 24 year old legal assistant. Linda saw what was going through Erin's mind and said "I wouldn't worry too much Erin; you've said that Mallory has a good head on her shoulders." She saw that Erin looked a little less concerned, which was good. Linda decided that if things worked out with Jamie and Teddy, maybe Teddy would help her find someone for Erin.

"You haven't said anything about her, Danny!" Erin asked her Brother and he said "Well, at least this one is Catholic!" Linda wanted to smack her husband, and she said "Honestly, that is all you can say?" Danny didn't know what to think, but until proven otherwise anyone coming around his family was regarded with suspicion. "I think she looks a little prissy, and why is a southerner here in New York? And if they've been going out for a while, why are we just now meeting her?" Danny asked in an aggrieved tone.

Nicky looked up and said "I'm surprised we're even meeting her at all, with how you and Mom act!" Erin looked at her daughter as she went on. "Uncle Danny acts like she is a suspect, while you, Mom, act like she is a witness and you are in court!" Linda had to smile at that, and caught Frank's eye. He was keeping quiet, knowing that his family, especially Danny, had to come to their own conclusion.

Just then the front door opened, and Jamie, Teddy, and Grandpa Henry came in. Jamie was bringing up the rear as Grandpa Henry had his arm on Teddy's. She giggled, and said in her soft southern accent "I see where Jamie gets his charm from, Sir!" Frank saw that her comment was delivered with a toss of those flame colored curls, and that dimple as she smiled! His Father had only loved one woman in his life, and she'd been a red head like Teddy. Frank understood what his Dad was seeing!

Danny looked at the 'princess' as he dubbed her, cuddled up with his Grandfather, and Brother! Her comment was so contrived, as to be pitiful, and he was annoyed with her, and the fact that no one else in his family saw through it. His Father was standing next to him, and Danny said "Oh good god, if I have to sit through dinner with that, I need a drink!" He stalked off to the kitchen, and poured himself two fingers of Irish whiskey, and drank it without pausing.

In the living room Jack and Sean Reagan came up to Teddy. Jack had heard all the conversation before they arrived, and wanted to ask her several important questions. Sean was interested in what Jack had to say, but was also interested in her southern accent. "Dr. Talbot, have you cut animals open?" Jack was very interested in biology, and animals, and he figured that if she was a vet, she would know something about it.

Linda wanted to die, as her older son launched himself at Teddy. She understood his asking, but couldn't believe he would do without a proper introduction. However, before she could get to Jack he had gotten himself next to Dr. Talbot. "Yes, I have Jack! Animals are rather like people, that sometimes you need to do surgery to help them." Jack couldn't believe that an adult was talking to him like he was an equal. "How do you handle them during the operations?

Teddy wanted to laugh, as Jack looked at her as the font of all knowledge. "Jack, it is like doing surgery on people. We study the situation; we put them under anesthesia, and do the procedure! We try to run as many tests as possible." Teddy said, and then added "It sounds like you are very interested in this?" The young man smiled and said "I really like animals, and I like science also! It would be neat to work with them all the time!"

Linda had watched Teddy explaining everything to her son in a matter of fact way. She wasn't upset with what Jack was asking, and Linda liked how Teddy took the time to answer her son's questions. Sean had been waiting while Jack got through his stupid surgery questions. There was a lull in the conversation, and he took advantage of it.

"Dr. Talbot, from your voice it sounds like you are from the south? Do you have snakes where you are from?" Sean was totally fascinated with snakes, and really wanted one, but his Mother had said no to his request. "I'm from New Orleans, Louisiana! It is the bayou, and we have snakes!" Teddy said, and turned to him with a smile as she went on "Where I'm from, the snakes are TWO and THREE feet long! In the spring they hang from the trees, and if you go walking on the levees." She stopped, flashed her dimple, and with a quick motion of her hand ran it down his back as she finished "They slither down your back, and bite you on the ankles!"

Sean, for one minute had a terrified expression on his face, and then he said "Oh how neat! They really get three feet long? Are they poisonous?" He was sure that Dr. Talbot had to be the coolest person in the world! No one else ever talked about snakes. "Sean, where I'm from snakes and bugs come in two sizes; large and extra large!"

Linda let her boys ask a couple more questions before she told them to go to some homework before dinner. "Teddy, thank you for talking to them! I'm sorry they ambushed you like that!" Linda said, and went on "They have lots of energy!" She was embarrassed that her sons had acted like they did with this beautiful woman.

Teddy looked at Linda, and saw concern and worry in her eyes. She'd like how Linda handled her sons during Mass, and knew that she was a loving mother of great faith. "They are nothing! My sister has twin boys that are eight years old, a six year old daughter, and a four year old son!" Teddy said, laughing as she did so.

Erin said "That sounds like a lot! Does she live around here?" Linda had been relived when Teddy had told her about her sister. Obviously, she knew about kids, and wouldn't be shocked at what they did. She still sometimes mentally cringed at the Fourth of July police celebration, three years ago, when Sydney and Jamie were still together.

Sydney had shown up in a white strapless sundress, trimmed with red ribbon. She had four inch heeled scandals in red leather, and her toes and fingers matched exactly. Her dark hair was slightly bouffant, and her tan perfectly even. She'd brought some fancy salad from a bakery in Greenwich that was made with ingredients most people wouldn't recognize.

Jamie had just gotten off of his shift, and come over to the Reagan family blanket. His nephews had been thrilled to see him, and had come up to hug him. However, Sydney had gotten there first and Linda still remembered the revulsion in her eyes as she looked at the boys with their dirty faces and hands. Linda had gotten there in time, but she'd felt rather bad for Jamie, who would have liked to spend time with his nephews.

"My sister married a naval officer, and she moves every three years or so! They are stationed at Pearl Harbor right! I just saw them about four months ago!" Teddy said with a smile, and added "Steve is a great guy, and his parents are awesome! His Dad is retired navy, and wherever Steve and Emily get stationed, his parents relocate to help out!"

Erin was pleased as she listened to Teddy talk about her sister, and she'd appreciated how the vet had talked to Sean and Jack. "Do you have any other siblings?" Erin asked, trying not to sound like she was in court. Jamie had been hanging back, since his Grandfather was still standing next to Teddy. He was feeling so much relief at how well everything was going. There had been lots of issues with Sydney, that while his family thought he wasn't aware of, but he was.

Teddy wasn't from the south for nothing, and she knew how important family was! "I'm the youngest actually! Emily is the oldest, then there is my brother Harry, and then me!" She said in her soft accent. "Does your Brother have kids?" Erin asked just out of curiosity. Danny was in the kitchen, finishing his drink, but still heard her reply.

"Oh my, I hope not! He is a Jesuit priest!" The comment was delivered with laughter and twinkling eyes. Teddy went on "He was pretty wild though before Jesus talked to him, so I guess anything is possible!" Grandpa Henry looked at her, giggling at that thought, and he was entranced. His wife had been very religious, but very earthy at the same time. He saw that streak in Teddy, and knew that his Grandson, for all of his religious leanings, was a very passionate Irishman. These two were meant for each other, he realized.

Danny had heard that comment, in the kitchen, as he was getting ready to take his second shot of whiskey. "Fucking please! Where did my brother find her? Central casting? Excuse me; I need one perfect, prissy Irish Catholic girl friend!" He drank his second shot, and was all set for a third, when Frank came into the kitchen.

Frank had heard Danny's comment, when Teddy had first arrived, and watched him stalk off to the kitchen. He took the bottle away from Danny and said "You need to stop right now! She is a nice woman, and you need to give her a chance. Jamie has the right to be happy, Danny!" He looked at his Father with a sour expression, but nodded his head. He wished someone understood that he wanted Jamie to be happy too, that he was just trying to protect him.

During dinner they found out more about Teddy, and Danny had revised his opinion of her slightly. He'd been surprised to learn that she worked for the NYPD, taking care of the working dogs, and the mounted patrol horses. When he'd heard that she was vet, Danny had assumed that she took care of rich women's dogs.

Danny also gave her bonus points for the army, and Afghanistan, deciding that she must not be all that prissy. He kept in touch with some of his marine corps friends, and they'd told him all about what it was like. Danny therefore could relate when she said that 'hell probably looked like Afghanistan!' He also liked the fact that she didn't regard being over there as some holy mission the US should be fighting. Teddy had stayed in the enclosure, and worked on staying alive instead of traipsing through enemy villages.

When he'd been in the marines the biggest non-war related nuisances were contractors who wanted to do outreach to the natives. Danny had almost been killed on one occasion, accompanying a nurse into a village. She'd been there to do vaccinations, to help the people. In spite of her wearing the correct garb, some hothead had taken exception to a woman working and shot at them. Danny still had nightmares about that to this day.

He was brought out of his thoughts about Iraq as he heard his Grandfather asking Teddy a question. "Can I ask what Teddy is short for?" He said with a smile. He was sitting next to her, and she patted his arm as she said "Of course you can! It is short for Edwina." Erin was curious and said "That sounds English."

"I was named after my Grandmum; she and my Grandfather were from Australia originally. I was always told it was a family name." Teddy explained, and Frank asked "What brought them to America?" He was curious as to what would cause that to happen.

Teddy chewed a piece of meat and then said "My Grandfather was a petro-engineer for British Petroleum in the middle east. He didn't like it over there, and it kept him separated from my Grandmum. He and a friend had heard about the oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico, and west Texas."

"They came to America, and did all right for themselves." Teddy said, and added "Nothing fabulous, mind you. The friend went back to Australia and bought a pub in Sydney. My grandparents really liked America, especially New Orleans. They decided to stay, but Grandfather was done with oil exploration. He decided that there was more money to be made selling equipment to people who wanted to go explore." She finished the explanation with a smile.

Danny asked "What did your grandparents like about America so much?" Linda was glad to see that he was making polite conversation with Teddy. "They liked the opportunities that America offered. It is hard to start your own business in Australia. Everything is heavily taxed and regulated, and it is a lot of who you know kind of thing too!" She said in a matter of fact tone.

"You do look very Irish though, and I know that Australia had a lot of immigrants." Grandpa Henry said to her. Teddy flashed her dimple and said "It was the dumping ground when England's prisons got too full of badly behaved Irishmen!" Everyone laughed at that, and Erin admired how she didn't try to make it look fancy and upper class.

Danny had been listening to everything, and he was getting that twist in his gut that he got when something wasn't adding up. It was what made him a great detective, but a pain in the ass human being. "Was your Father's family from New Orleans?" He asked, trying to sound casual about it. "Yes, they'd been there for quite a while." She told him, almost holding her breath. When she'd been asked about her parents earlier, she'd told them about her Mother's death, and the fact that her Father was retired from working for the city.

"Did you grow up in a big plantation house?" Nicky asked, thinking of some of the pictures a friend had brought back from a trip down south. Teddy laughed and said "No, nothing fancy, we're just ordinary people. I lived in a house rather like this one, in the Garden District of New Orleans. I went to a convent school, and wore a uniform rather like yours, Nicky."

By now dinner was done and Linda offered to clear the table, and she gave Teddy a lot of credit when she offered to help. Erin went into the kitchen also, while Nicky and the boys excused themselves until dessert. Jamie had been getting concerned about the grilling Teddy was getting, and was all set to follow her into the kitchen. Linda didn't worry him as much as his sister did.

"Jamie, sit down! She'll be fine and you don't want to interrupt female bonding in the kitchen!" Frank told him, and Grandpa Henry laughed at that. He wished his wife was here, she'd have loved Teddy. He looked at Jamie and said "I think you've hit a home run this time!" Jamie smiled at his Grandfather's comment. "Hey, on the subject of home runs, did you see the game last week?" Frank said to change the subject.

In the kitchen Linda was asking Teddy about her travels, and was amazed at all the places she'd been. Linda's secret dream was to travel, but she knew that at this stage of her life it wasn't going to happen. Erin was listening to the conversation with half an ear, thinking about Nicky's friend and the boy. Obviously, Teddy had met the boy, and Erin was trying to figure out how to ask, without looking like a nosy parker.

At a lull in the conversation Erin commented "Nicky said that she met you a while ago, at Ronnybrooks ice cream place." Teddy smiled, while Linda wanted to roll her eyes, seeing through Erin's ploy. "Yes, she was there with two school friends. They were all very nice and polite." She said, as she dried a wine glass.

Linda decided to take pity on Erin and said "The overprotective Mother here is concerned because Nicky's best friend has a boy friend!" She shook her head as she said it, and Teddy looked at Erin with interest. "How old is Nicky?" Erin sighed and said "She'll be sixteen in a month. Her friend is already sixteen, and I don't know about this boy!" Teddy asked "Is Nicky allowed to date?"

Erin got a panicked look on her face, as she took a large drink of wine and said "I have nightmares about that!" Linda started getting the dishes out and said "Erin has nightmares about all things teen related!" Erin saw how ridiculous she probably looked, and said as much. Teddy and Linda laughed and said that they would not want to be a teenager again for anything.

Teddy had brought a box of pralines, from New Orleans, as a hostess gift, so that was dessert along with some vanilla ice cream. After dessert Jamie and Teddy said their goodbyes, and he drove her home. When they got to her building, he went with her to her apartment, to say good bye. Jamie looked around her cheerful living room, and thought how easy it would be to sit on the couch with her and watch a movie.

However, he didn't want to overstay his welcome, and she probably wanted some peace after an afternoon with his family. "Listen, I'll let you get some rest and recover from my family!" Jamie said, as he put his arms around her. Teddy laughed and said "Trust me that was nothing! I'll take you to Hawaii to visit my sister and her four kids! And we haven't even talked about visiting my Dad!"

Jamie looked at her with love, being happy that she wasn't bothered by his family. They were a lot to take if you weren't used to them. "Have I told you that I love you, Edwina Talbot?" Jamie said, his blue eyes shining. She gave him a low laugh and said "Yes, you told me that at Church, and you were all set to kiss me, until we get the look from Fr. Coleman. By the way, I love you too Jamie!"

He pulled her closer and started kissing her, and felt her put her arms around his waist. She felt wonderful against him, and as his tongue explored her mouth one of his hands stroked her head. Teddy felt like she was being overwhelmed by all the sensations coursing through her body. They broke off to take a breath, and she whispered in his ear "That certainly made up for earlier!"

Her breath was soft on his ear, sending shivers up and down his spine. They only increased when she lightly kissed and licked his ear lobe. She smelled like lavender, and he remembered his earlier thought of summer sunshine. Jamie was on the cusp of pushing it further, just to stay with her. Teddy was so wonderful, and it would be incredible to hold her all night. However, deep in his heart, he knew that neither of them wanted it that way.

Teddy felt what was going through Jamie's body; she didn't understand how they could be so connected, but they were! She knew that she needed to say good night now, thinking about what had happened earlier that morning. "Jamie, thank you so much for today! I loved going to Mass with you, and your family is wonderful! I want to do it again!" He felt her pull back some, and was both relived and sad at the same time.

"I want to do it again too! I love you, and liked going to Mass with you Teddy!" Jamie told her, as he stepped back. Teddy looked at him with wonder in her dark blue eyes as she said "Jamie, I like being with you, and praying with you to! It was extra special, sharing the experience together!" He brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it, saying "I felt the same way!"

Jamie drove home very happy, in spite of being rather lonely. He wondered how long a proper courtship should be, and how could you ask a girl's father for permission to marry her, when he was in federal prison! He was still amazed at how well today had gone, with his family! Linda and Danny's boys were over the top, but Teddy had not been upset at the least!

He wasn't surprised at his Grandfather's reaction to Teddy, but Jamie had appreciated how she'd taken the time to talk to the older man. Erin seemed to like her a lot, and based on that laughter coming out of the kitchen, things had gone well. Jamie was even pleased at how well Danny had handled the whole thing.

Teddy had talked about being in Afghanistan, and Danny had shared some of what his marine corps buddies had told him. When Danny had found out that her Grandfather had been in the Middle East and hated it, he'd perked up. Jamie had listened to one too many diatribes on ragheads from his Brother. Teddy took it all in stride, and made several relevant comments about the situation over there.

Things had gone well with Danny! He loved his Brother, no doubt, but Danny was unpredictable on his good days, and explosive on his bad ones. He'd told Teddy all about it beforehand, to prepare her. Luckily, everything had worked out. Jamie went to bed very happy overall, thinking about Teddy, and wishing she was with him.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note: Everyone has been waiting for Danny's reaction, so here it is! Due to the use of mature language in this chapter, it is rated 'M'. **_

_**Thank you to all my reviewers! I love reading your comments! **_

_**Danny**_

It was Monday morning, and Jackie and Danny were coming back from an early morning call-out. "I really hate the first day back from a weekend!" Jackie said, and Danny agreed. They'd been dispatched to an apartment where a dead body had been found. It turned out it wasn't foul play, just a heart attack, but they still had to investigate.

Danny was glad it was nothing, because he really wanted to think about Jamie's new girl friend. His gut twisted every time he thought of her, so he knew there was more there than she'd told. Jackie noticed how quiet he'd been, and when they got back to their desks, she asked about it.

"I met Jamie's girl friend yesterday!" Danny told her, with a thoughtful expression. Jackie liked hearing about the Reagans, because they were as screwy as her family was, if not more so. "Do tell, where did you meet her?" Jackie asked, and Danny told her the whole story about Mass and dinner.

Jackie listened, and then said "She sounds nice, and it is a big plus that she is Catholic! And she works for the NYPD too! Perfect fit for your family!" Danny sighed and said "She isn't telling everything!" Jackie looked at him open mouth, and said "You make her sound like a suspect! What is the problem?"

Danny said "I have that twist in my gut! And why would someone from New Orleans, who looks like she does, go to Afghanistan, and then come to New York?" Jackie gritted her teeth, wondering if this is what her Mother felt in dealing with Jackie and her siblings. "Honestly, it is called a job! I don't think the army asks where you want to be assigned! People come to New York from all over the world!" Jackie told him in an exasperated tone.

"There is something off about that story about her Grandparents too!" Danny added in a peeved tone. Jackie asked about them, so he told her the story that Teddy had. When he finished she shook her head and said in a sarcastic tone of voice "Yes, it sounds really suspect that someone comes to America to have a better life! Like that has never happened before!"

Danny wished that Jackie would understand that he was just trying to protect Jamie. He also had more experience in the middle-east than she did. "When I was in Iraq it was a known fact that a lot of the guys who worked for the oil companies were also used to gather information for the Special Forces." Danny said, wondering what the man had really been doing over there.

"You are starting to concern me, Danny! We are talking borderline paranoia here in fact!" Jackie said, looking at him open mouthed. "I just think there is more to her than she is saying. I am only thinking about Jamie!" Danny said in a slow voice. He hadn't cared for her comment about being paranoid! People just didn't realize what a dangerous place the world was!

Jackie knew she'd pushed too far with the comment, but honestly! Some of the things her partner said were bizarre, and she'd ended up with one too many IA interviews because of Danny's behavior. "Danny, if you really care about Jamie then step back. Let him have his life, and trust him; he is your Brother!" She said to him, hoping that her partner would listen to her. Jackie added "He is a grown man, and capable of taking care of himself!" Danny sighed, knowing in his heart that she was right. It was just that while his heart might say one thing, his brain and gut sometimes said something else.

It was after lunch, and Danny was writing up some case file reports. His mind though was turning over every detail of what Teddy Talbot had told them yesterday. It all sounded fine, and he thought that maybe that was the problem; it sounded too fine! He'd learned to be distrustful when the pieces fit together too perfectly.

It was around 3:00pm when Danny decided to do what he'd been thinking about all day. On the one hand he knew it was violating the woman's privacy, snooping on Jamie and his girl friend. He'd tried to remember what Jackie had told him; his Brother was a grown man and could take care of himself. However, his gut wouldn't stop twisting, or his mind stop working when he thought about Teddy.

Danny typed her name into the search engine on the computer, but only came up with lots of references to teddy bears. He then remembered her story about what Teddy stood for. This time he typed in 'Edwina Talbot, DVM, New Orleans, LA' and hit the jackpot! Danny started to read the articles, and his eyes bulged as his breathing got fast and shallow.

He was shocked at what he found, and just how bad it all was! Danny was aghast at who his brother was involved with! He'd never had patience with dirty cops, feeling that they brought down the entire force. The more he read about the trial, the more upset he became. Danny knew that he had to protect Jamie, and decided that he would go talk to this Edwina Talbot himself! He was amazed that the NYPD had hired her, and decided she must have lied to them also.

Jackie was coming back from a late lunch, and saw her partner almost storm out of the building. She got a very bad feeling as she watched him leave. When he got upset about something he wasn't rational, as she knew all too well. In retrospect, she was going to wish she would've stopped him.

Danny made his way over to the building that housed the vet clinic for the NYPD. He strode into the waiting room, and saw two uniformed officers with German shepherds sitting together on a sofa. In a chair was a large, Scandinavian looking man with a fawn colored dog that had a black head. The dog slightly resembled the German shepherds, but had short hair and was much slighter of build.

He also saw two family groups in the waiting area, with a dog and a cat respectively. Danny remembered hearing that one day a week the clinic provided free vet care to the community. He could just imagine the prissy, lying Dr. Talbot chatting to the kids in her southern accent. His boys had talked about nothing else on the way home, after dinner last night. If they only knew the truth about her, he thought as he ground his teeth.

Going to the receptionist, he asked if he could talk to Dr. Talbot. The young woman looked at something on the computer and said "She is just finishing a meeting, but I can page her. Who should I say is here?" Danny gave his name in what he hoped was a calm tone of voice. It had been about five minutes when he saw her walking out, and then mentally cringed as he saw who she was with.

Captain Randolph was in charge of the mounted unit, and one of the people that really annoyed Danny. He wore his riding clothes all the time, every medal he'd ever received, and always carried a riding whip. Danny and some of the other detectives referred to him as 'Gen. Patton' behind his back. He was a retired army officer, and very impressed with himself.

Danny looked at Teddy and saw that her red hair was braided back in an elaborate, interwoven style, off of her neck. She had a white coat on, embroidered with her name, and the shield of the NYPD veterinary corps. He could see that she had on a straight skirt in shades of grey and purple, along with a purple open collared shirt, hose, and low grey heels. Danny thought that she looked like one of those female doctors who like to tell people what to do.

"I appreciate you stopping by Capt. Randolph! I will update the schedule for the mounted unit to include the new vaccination for all the horses. That way, it won't matter which horses go to Cheyenne for the Frontier Days parade." Teddy was saying in her soft accent. Capt. Randolph looked pleased as he said "Thank you for making me aware that the disease was prevalent in the Rocky Mountains, Dr. Talbot."

Danny watched as Teddy shook Capt. Randolph's hand as she said "I went to vet school out there, so we dealt with it a lot. When I heard that we were going to send some of the horses to the celebration, I was concerned because the disease is not well known here. Are you going to accompany them? It is a wonderful occasion!"

Capt. Randolph then proceeded to ask Teddy several questions about the Frontier Days and the area in general. _'Fuck off Patton; she is not your travel agent!'_ Danny thought to himself, as he waited for the man to finish. He was impressed though at how cordial the man was being, but Danny decided that Teddy was just good at getting men to do what she wanted. He got even more annoyed when, after the mounted officer had left, the receptionist said in deferential tones "Dr. Talbot, Det. Reagan is here to see you."

He knew that he had a chip on his shoulder about the 'upper crust' as he referred to people who were above him on the social ladder. He didn't like watching how everyone fawned over the 'red haired witch' as he mentally referred to her. Danny watched as Teddy saw him, and smiled like she was really glad to see him. "Danny, what a surprise!" She said, and then turned to the large, blond man in the chair and said "Canny, I will be with you and Henri in just a minute." Danny watched as the dog tilted his head to look at her, and then almost nodded.

"Don't worry about it Dr. Talbot, Henri is enjoying the cool air!" The blonde man said, and the two other officers, with their dogs also nodded. Danny heard Teddy giggle as she said "Well we have to do right by the most important members of the department!" He wanted to slap the men, as they laughed and looked at her like she was the most wonderful thing in the world! Danny was looking forward to them finding out what a lying, conniving bitch she really was!

Teddy turned to look at Danny, wondering what he wanted. She'd been pleased at how well it had gone with Danny yesterday, after Jamie's warnings. From her time in Afghanistan, she knew how the environment could affect a soldier's mental stability. She wondered whether Danny had ever gotten any treatment. Based on Jamie's accounts of his actions he could probably use it. Teddy looked at him now, but was mentally thinking about how much of the vaccine she should order for the horses. It was only when it was too late did she see the 'off' look in his eyes.

Danny had not anticipated having anyone around when he confronted Teddy about her lies. He decided though that these people needed to understand who she really was. The fury was raging through his body, and he felt like this was his special mission. His brain was flooded with light as he thought that, looking at her standing there.

"How dare you come into my family's home, you lying bitch!" Danny said, his eyes starting to glitter. It wasn't said loud, but everyone in the room turned to look at him, because of his body language. He didn't see it, but Capt. Randolph had come back into the clinic to get something he'd forgotten.

"You lied about your crook of a Father, but I won't let you get away with it!" Danny started raging, as he remembered everything he'd read about the trial. "You are to stay away from my Brother! I am going to tell him exactly what a conniving witch you really! And then I'm going to tell your boss too! He needs to know that he hired the daughter of a dirty bastard cop!"

Teddy was shocked at what was coming out of Danny's mouth, and concerned about the look in his eyes. She was trying to figure out what to do, when he moved toward her, grabbing her arm as he did so. "You are going to leave these premises now! You are not fit to be here!" Danny said, as he tightened his grip and tried to pull her.

Henri had been watching the whole thing on high alert. He was totally obedient to his handler, but he knew the voice and scent of the woman who had sat with him all night and saved his life. He saw that she was being threatened, and he wasted no time. Henri went into action, and lunged at Danny, knocking him to the ground with hard force.

As Danny was laying on the ground with sixty-five pounds of snarling Belgian Malinois on top of him, Capt. Randolph came up to check on Teddy. He looked down at Danny and said "Reagan, I can hardly wait to tell your Father what an idiot you really are!" Teddy's boss, Dr. Grady had come out, having been summoned by the receptionist.

"Sgt. Olfesson, please call Henri off Det. Reagan. He will be going now!" Dr. Grady said in a cold, furious tone. He went on to Danny "I'll be calling your precinct captain too, letting him know I am lodging a formal complaint! I'm sure these officers here will agree to be witnesses about your behavior!" By now Danny was standing up, and he said "But her Father is sitting in federal prison!" He was aghast that he was the one being reprimanded.

Dr. Grady looked at Danny with dislike as he said "I am well aware of the situation, Det. Reagan, and I don't think it is any of your business who I hire. Please leave!" Capt. Randolph had been making sure that Teddy was all right, and he turned to Dr. Grady and said "I will be glad to escort him out!"

It was dawning on Danny that he was coming out on the wrong side of this encounter, and was all set to say something else. However, Henri lunged at him again, eyeing him like he was a juicy steak. Canny Olfesson said "I think Henri wants to see him out!" That caused the two other handlers, along with Capt. Randolph, to laugh like it was the best joke they'd heard all year. Danny managed to summon what was left of his dignity, and stalked out.

While Dr. Grady and Capt. Randolph spoke to Teddy, the two police officers were busy texting and emailing the story to their buddies. They knew exactly who Danny's family was, and it took them no time to figure out that the nice Dr. Talbot was dating the younger member of the family. They had not known about her Father, but that just made the story more interesting. This was better drama than those cop shows on TV, they thought, as they spread the word about what had happened.

Teddy had been taken to the back room by Dr. Grady and Capt. Randolph, and they had gotten her some tea. "I am so sorry that happened, Ron!" Teddy said to Dr. Grady, looking like she was about to cry. "Teddy, you have nothing to apologize for! That officer needs mental help!" Capt. Randolph patted her shoulder and said "His behavior was totally out of line. His Father is the Police Commissioner, and I am certainly going to say something to him about his son."

"I bet it is all over the NYPD by now!" Teddy said sadly. She was trying to remember what Jamie and Frank had told her, but she had a scared feeling in the pit of her stomach. She excused herself to freshen up, sent Jamie a quick text message saying they needed to talk, and then went to take care of Henri. Dr. Grady went to make his phone call, while Capt. Randolph waited until he was in his car to make his.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's Note: This story is going a few more chapters than what I'd had planned. Blame it on the characters, who all want their say! **_

_**So glad that you all enjoyed the last chapter, with Danny's reaction! I was concerned about how it would be received, and your comments were very welcome. Thank you for your reviews.**_

_**KathDMD introduced me to Ciroc vodka, and it is great!**_

_**The Fall Out**_

By the time Danny made it back to his office, he was starting to realize how much trouble he was going to be in. At the time it had seemed the best way to deal the situation, because he'd had a sense of urgency to handle it right away. Danny, in that frame of mind, always thought confrontation was best. However, looking at it after the fact, he knew he'd done the wrong thing. Yet again!

Jackie was sitting at her desk, wondering why the other detectives in the squad room were looking at her, out of the corners of their eyes. She had a chill running up and down her spine, which always meant bad news. When Danny came into the office, with what almost looked like paw prints on the front of his shirt, her spine felt like it got twenty degrees colder.

Danny sat down at his desk, and tried to figure out his next move. He was debating calling his Dad when Jackie asked "What did you do?" Danny looked at her in horror, and said "What do you mean?" They were conversing in low tones, and Jackie said "Capt. Brynes has been called upstairs, and everyone else is looking at me like they know something I don't. And you have paw prints on your shirt!"

It now dawned on Danny that those two K-9 officers must have texted and emailed all their buddies the story. Their buddies would have told their buddies, and so on. As he thought that, he put his head in his hands, thinking he was totally screwed. _'All I wanted to do is protect Jamie_' he thought, knowing that no one would understand. Danny reviewed his actions, and realized that he could lose his job. And his Brother was never going to talk to him again! All because of that red haired witch!

He told Jackie what he'd found out about Teddy, and how he'd gone to talk to her. When he said that, Jackie remembered the way he'd left the building earlier that afternoon. She knew that her partner didn't do calm rational discussions when he was wound up. She frowned, as she asked "Do I dare even ask what you said to Dr. Talbot?"

Just then Capt. Brynes came striding into the room, and saw Danny. He also saw how the other detectives pretended to be busy with computer work. "Reagan, should I bother with taking you into my office to suspend you, or just do it out here? After all, it is not like it is a fucking private matter!" The older man's voice had risen several octaves as he said it.

"Can you not just sit down with someone and have a normal conversation?" The Captain said, and then continued on in a patronizing tone of voice "But why would you want to do something sane and rational? I think you like talking to IA, I mean come on, you've done it enough times before!" Danny wanted to say something, but before he could he was told to turn in his gun and badge. As he headed home, he wondered how much whiskey was at the house.

Garrett Moore was heading into Frank Reagan's office, to tell him about the phone call he'd just had. Frank didn't even look up, just said "I told you I didn't want to be disturbed Garrett!" He was trying to get his presentation done, and it wasn't going well. Garrett snorted and said "Oh, you have bigger problems that your presentation. I just got off the phone with Tom Randolph!" He stopped, and waited for Frank to look up.

"Is there a problem with the mounted unit?" Frank asked slowly, wondering why Tom would be calling his office. Tom preferred to run his domain with no interference from One Police Plaza. Garrett got a satisfied look on his face as he said "He wanted to tell you what an idiot your son is!" Frank sighed, starting to be worried about who had done what to get the mounted unit's commander upset. "This is going to be painful, isn't it? Danny or Jamie?" Frank asked resignation in his voice.

Frank had briefed Garrett about Jamie and Teddy, in case they needed to do any damage control. Garrett had actually met Henry Talbot several times, and knew all about the case. He thought it rather interesting that Jamie had ended up dating the man's daughter. "It seems that Danny found out who Jamie's girl friend was, and about her Father."

He left it hanging out there, while Frank let his mind dwell on what had probably happened. None of the scenarios were good. Frank shook his head, and said "Tell me the whole story!" By the time Garrett was done, Frank was hoping that he could get to Jamie, before Jamie got to Danny!

Jamie was just leaving the 12th precinct, having finished his shift and changed his clothes. Some of the other guys were in a corner, talking about something, but Jamie didn't pay attention because he was in a hurry. He was surprised to see that his Dad was calling him, and answered, wondering if it was bad news. "Jamie, where are you?" His Dad asked, and he replied "I just finished my shift. I'm going over to Teddy's place; she wants to talk about something."

Frank heard that, and was glad that the story had not gotten to Jamie yet. He proceeded to tell his Son what had happened at the vet clinic. Frank finished off by telling Jamie to stay away from Danny, that he'd take care of it. As much as Jamie wanted to wring his Brother's neck, he was more concerned about Teddy. He knew how proud she was, and also very sensitive. Jamie was appalled at what his Brother had done to her. If Teddy hadn't needed him, he would have been at Danny's house by now, no matter what his Father said.

He made it over to her apartment in record time, having stopped to by her some flowers. He remembered his Dad buying flowers for his Mother when she was upset. Jamie hoped they would help Teddy feel better. He was silently wishing he could give her Danny's head on a platter though. Arriving at her apartment, he knocked at the door and waited.

Jamie heard a muffled 'who is it' and he told her. When the door opened he saw her standing there, her eyes red from crying. She had on some plaid shorts in peach and tan, along with a peach colored short sleeve shirt. Her hair was up in a French braid, and her skin looked like cream against the peach background. He put his arms around her, and she buried her head in his neck. Suddenly everything didn't seem so bad, his presence making her feel better. He smelled so good, and it felt so nice to have him hold her.

Teddy looked up at him, and saw how upset he was. She was touched that he cared so much, and felt bad for him. Danny was his Brother, and he was caught in the middle between her and him. "I brought you some flowers, honey! I wish they were my asshole of a Brother's head!" Jamie told her, giving her the bouquet. Teddy managed a small smile when she saw them, saying "Thank you, Jamie, they are so pretty! And good colors too!"

It was a mixed bunch of flowers, in yellows and purples, all he could find. "I wanted to get you red roses, but they were sold out!" He told her, as he watched her smell them. "These are perfect! They are LSU colors!" Teddy said, as she flashed her dimple. Jamie laughed, glad that she was happy. The smile left her face as she said "You heard what happened?"

Jamie saw her shoulders sag, and he pulled her close to him. He cupped her chin in his hand, and said "My Dad called and told me!" Teddy groaned, and buried her head in his shoulder saying "Everyone knows, don't they?" Jamie knew that pretending wouldn't change anything, and stroked her hair saying "My understanding is that Henri has been offered several steak dinners!" She looked up at him with a tentative smile, and he added "I would have paid good money to see him take Danny down!"

Teddy pulled back a bit, and said "Oh Jamie, I'm sorry all this happened!" He took her by the shoulders and said "You have no damn reason to be sorry at all! Danny was totally out of line in what he did!" He didn't like how she looked, and he pulled her close and started kissing her deeply and passionately! As the sensations of desire washed over her body, she realized that Jamie would choose her over his Brother.

"I think we need to talk, Jamie!" Teddy panted, when she broke off the kiss. Her body was aching, and it took every ounce of willpower not to fall back into his arms. Jamie said "I love you, you know that! My Dad will stand by us no matter what!" By now she was pretty sure that her Mother was up in heaven taking care of her! Teddy knew that she had to do what was right, for Jamie's sake!

Teddy smiled at Jamie and said "I was trying to mix a martini up, but having no luck! Could you help?" She indicated the kitchen, and he saw a shaker, olives, Cinzano vermouth, and Ciroc vodka. Jamie smiled and said "I thought you southern girls drowned your sorrows in bourbon! You have great taste in vodka!" She laughed and said "Bourbon is so cliché!" She flashed her dimple and said "I'm glad you like Ciroc vodka! However, I also have a bottle of Bushmills 1608!"

Jamie said "Wow, you do know how to make an Irishman smile!" That was the top of line for Irish whiskey. His Dad, along with his siblings, had all chipped in to get a bottle for Grandpa Henry's 75th birthday! Teddy said "That is what my Grandfather likes to drink!" She paused, and then said "He also likes a good cigar on Saturday night!" Jamie was busy with the drinks, but said "He and my Dad will adore each other!"

They laughed, and Jamie brought the drinks over to her "Wow, not only are you cute and smart, but you mix great drinks too!" Teddy told him, taking a drink of her martini! They were sitting on the sofa, and Jamie watched the sun set over the river, from the window. He looked over at her, and suddenly wanted her hair down. He could imagine the last rays of the sun catching the flame colored pieces.

He put his drink down, and started rubbing her shoulders. Teddy turned her back to him, enjoying the way his hands felt on her body. "Ok, so my Brother is a jerk and an asshole!" Jamie said, as he moved his hands from her shoulders, up to the nape of her neck. She lowered her chin, letting his fingers slide up the back of her head.

Jamie found the end of the braid, held in place by some hair pins. He pulled out the hair pins, and then found the tail end of the braid, and took the elastic off. At that point he saw her hair loosen, the flame colored pieces melting into the richer red ones. He slowly undid the braid, liking how she kept her head slightly bent.

Teddy was enjoying the way his fingers felt against her scalp. It was like he was making a point of touching her scalp every time he undid a piece of the braid. She forced herself to think about what was important. "Jamie, he is your Brother. I think he just wanted to protect you. He needs help!" Teddy thought about that look in Danny's eyes, and remembered some of the soldiers she'd seen arriving at the base in Germany, after a bad tour.

"Honey, you must really be an angel! You are concerned about my Brother's mental state, after his behavior?" Jamie was blown away that not only was Teddy still talking to him, but she was concerned about his family. Teddy tossed her hair, all loose now and said "I am in no position to pass judgment on anything, or anyone else! My Dad is sitting in federal prison!" Teddy went on to explain about how Danny had looked, and what she'd seen in Germany and Afghanistan.

Jamie said "So what should we do?" He could not believe how she was willing to stand by his family, and didn't expect him to cut his Brother off. Danny had embarrassed her on a level not to be imagined, but she was concerned about him, and his relationship with his Brother. Teddy took a large drink of her martini and said "I think we need to trust your Dad!"

"Well, I know better than to argue with an Irishwoman, so I'll go along with that! Shall we sit here drinking martinis, or go somewhere to eat?" Jamie smiled, secretly glad that he didn't need to go to Staten Island and wring his Brother's neck. "As if I'm going to show my face anywhere tonight!" Teddy said, with a happy smile, not caring if she was going to be the highlight of 'page six'!

She snuggled up next to him, nuzzling against his neck, which caused that deep, primal sensation for Jamie. He didn't understand his response to what she did, but he loved the way his body felt. They stayed like that for a bit, and then Teddy said in his ear "I think we need some food!" She straightened up, and thought for a minute.

"I have some gumbo in the freezer, but not enough for both of us. Hmm, I know, I also have chicken enchiladas! They will be yummy!" Teddy said with a smile. Jamie looked at her with awe, and said "You cook too?" She flashed her dimple at him and said "I'm from the south, and southern girls are brought up to look after their men!" Jamie liked how she said 'their men', and he decided then and there that he would marry her sooner, rather than later!

In the meantime, Frank made his way out to Staten Island. He and Garrett had spent the whole afternoon and early evening doing damage control. Luckily Garrett honestly liked Henry Talbot, and there were other officers who knew what good work the man had done in New Orleans. Jamie's work for the undercover unit stood him in good stead, and Teddy was worshiped by the K-9 units, as well as the mounted patrol. A dirty cop was never good, but their families should not have to suffer for it was the general opinion.

Linda opened the door for Frank, glad to see him. Danny had come home, barely said hello, and had taken a bottle of whiskey into the study. She still didn't know what had happened, but knew that it wasn't good. Now seeing her Father-in-law at the door, Linda's anxiety jumped several meters. They chatted for a bit, and he said hello to his Grandsons. Frank gave Linda some money to take the kids out for ice cream. She was glad to get away from Danny, being worried about what he might say or do.

Frank found Danny in the study, the bottle next to him, and an almost empty glass. Danny looked up as his Father walked in, and then looked away. He went to pour himself another drink, but Frank stopped him, saying. "I don't think you need anymore!" Danny had both fear and rage running through his body. He hated it when that happened, and the only thing that seemed to help was alcohol.

"Don't tell me, you're taking the red haired witch's side too? Her Father is a crook!" Danny snarled, thinking about her standing there, looking down on him on the floor. "Danny, you caused a very messy scene today! You physically and verbally assaulted a member of the department, and did so in front of other cops!" Frank said slowly, wanting to make his point.

"Is General Patton more concerned about his horses, than what is right?" As he thought about Capt. Randolph his fists tightened into balls. "Danny, she is a very kind woman, a good veterinarian, and someone your Brother loves. You had no right to do what you did to her! Why did you do it?" Frank asked, and then waited for a response.

Danny looked at his Father in disbelief, that he would even ask that! "Don't you know what her Father did? I was trying to protect Jamie! He doesn't know what he was getting into!" Frank sighed, thinking about all the trouble Danny's impulsive behavior had caused, starting with his school days. "What made you think that Jamie didn't know about Teddy's family?" Frank asked him in a matter of fact voice.

"He knows? He's known all this time? Jamie never said anything about it!" Danny was shocked, having not thought of this possibility. Frank shook his head and said "Teddy told Jamie, and Jamie discussed it with me. As to why you weren't brought into the conversation, I think the assumption was that it was Jamie's private business."

Frank watched as Danny thought about that, and then said "But she didn't tell us about it on Sunday! She lied about it!" He was still upset that Teddy had not been truthful with him and his family. "Danny, in what world do you think she would want to announce, the first time she meets you, that her Father is in prison. She didn't lie; she said he was retired from working for the city of New Orleans, which is true." Frank really wondered about his son's social skills at times.

"I understand your concern about the situation. However, didn't it occur to you to talk to Jamie first? Or maybe even Teddy, but in a calm, private discussion?" Frank looked at his son with worry as he asked it. Danny tried to explain how he'd gotten so upset when he'd found out about Teddy's family.

"Henry Talbot was a good police chief, until he made a bad mistake that cost him his job, and his reputation. He didn't get anyone killed, and was willing to resign quietly to avoid a scandal." Frank told Danny, hoping he was listening. Danny looked at his Father and said "There was nothing about that in the coverage I read!" His Dad sighed and said "My understanding is that the DA was up for re-election, and thought a trial would help him get re-elected. Didn't it occur to you that the coverage was exploitive?"

Danny realized that he'd gotten himself so worked up that he had not looked at the story objectively. He had believed everything he'd read, thinking the worse. His emotions and impulsiveness had gotten him in trouble again. Frank looked at his son and said "Danny, we've talked about this before, and you've blown me off. Not this time though, and I mean it; you need help!" Frank said in a serious tone.

Danny was realizing the enormity of what he'd done, and asked "Do I have a job?" Frank swallowed and said "You are suspended for the next three days, and a written reprimand will be placed in your file." He let that sink in, and then said "Teddy is not filing a formal complaint against you, and spoke to Captain Byrnes on your behalf. Because of her army training she's had experience with what you are dealing with."

"She did that? Really? Why?" Danny asked in amazement. "Teddy loves your Brother very much, and she is truly a good person. I'm also pretty sure that she'll be your sister-in-law, so I suggest you stop calling her the red haired witch." Frank told him, hoping he understood how lucky he was. "Danny, you need to make this right with her! I expect you to apologize, and eat a large dose of humble pie. You also need to talk to your Brother!" He added, and Danny said "I don't know if Jamie will ever speak to me again!" Frank got a rueful smile and said "Jamie is your Brother, and is also madly in love. He'll talk to you!"


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Note: This chapter is rather long, but there is a lot happening!**_

_**Conversations**_

It was the day after the 'event' as Danny referred to the whole thing, and he was heading over to meet Jamie when his shift ended. After his Father had left, when Linda came home he told her everything. She was horrified at what her husband had done, and didn't know how she would ever look Teddy in the face again.

Only when Danny told her that he was going to see someone about his issues, did she forgive him. Linda knew that he was a good man, a good father, and was only thinking about protecting his family. He also told her what Teddy had done for him, and Linda decided that maybe she could look her in the face after all.

Danny had not been sure where to meet Jamie; the only places coming to mind were various 'cop bars'. At first he didn't want to be anywhere they would be recognized, but as he thought about it, he decided it was for the best. The story was common knowledge throughout the department, and it would be good for people to see him and his Brother talking together.

When he walked into the bar he knew that everyone was looking at him, even if they were pretending not to. He hailed a couple of people he knew, and then went to a corner booth that offered some privacy. Danny pretended to be looking at something on his phone, while the people talked around him.

Jamie had finished his shift, and was heading over to meet Danny. His evening with Teddy had gone well. After dinner they'd watched a funny movie, and made out a little bit. It had felt wonderful, and made him want to be even closer to her. Jamie knew though that she had high moral standards, and she expected the same from him.

They'd both been pleased, the following morning, when the story did not make the paper. Instead all the news was about a state senator who'd been caught sending pictures of his lower anatomy to various women. Jamie and Teddy, talking on the phone, had giggled about sending a thank you gift to the guy, and what would be most suitable. Teddy had suggested a high-def camera, which almost made Jamie snort out the coffee he was drinking, as he laughed loudly.

When he'd received the message from his Brother, about getting together, he remembered what Teddy had told him. His Dad had called too, and said that he'd talk to Danny. The other guys in the precinct had given him some interesting looks, but only his partner Renzulli had addressed it directly. Even then his comment had been along the lines of what the next family dinner was going to be like! He also expected to be introduced to his partner's girl friend.

Arriving at the bar, he looked around and saw Danny in the corner booth. He was also aware that everyone in the place was looking at him, directly or not. Jamie took a deep breath, and walked over to where his Brother was. Jamie looked at his Brother, and was surprised how old and careworn he looked in the unbecoming bar lighting. He thought back to how, for so many years, he'd thought Danny had walked on water.

It was only as Jamie got older did he see the dark side to his Brother's personality. Joe had been there for the longest time, helping him understand everything. Joe had been the one who'd given him his first sip of beer, and later whiskey. His Dad had told him about girls, but Joe had given him the practical knowledge. Jamie knew that some of their closeness was because of the strength of their faith. He thought about that faith as he sat down opposite Danny.

Danny had seen Jamie come in right away, and was suddenly more scared than he'd been in his life, even including Iraq! Losing Joe had been the most awful thing he'd ever experienced, and he couldn't even think about losing Jamie. Yet, he could see how his actions were pushing Jamie away as thoroughly as if he had lost him physically.

However, Daniel Francis Reagan was a brave man, if nothing else and he addressed the main topic head on. "I've already spoken to Teddy, and we are having coffee together, tomorrow morning!" That call had been awkward to say the least. Before Jamie could say anything, a waitress came over to take their orders. They both ordered draft beers, and then when the waitress left Jamie said "Teddy told me about that."

"I understand that the only reason I'm still a cop is because she is not going to file a complaint. I also understand that she has talked to her boss and General." Danny stopped as the waitress brought them their beers. It gave Danny time to think about what he'd been going to say. Obviously the mounted unit commander thought that Teddy walked on water, and a big part of her job involved the horses.

Danny sighed and said "Teddy talked to her boss and Captain Randolph, and they are not filing complaints either." Jamie took a sip of his beer and said in a cold tone "Maybe in return you could stop referring to her as 'the red haired witch', or 'the dirty cop's daughter'?" Jamie was annoyed that his Brother had made those comments in public!

That gave Danny the chance to wonder, what his reaction would have been, if Jamie had made those kinds of comments about Linda. He decided that considering his mental state lately, he'd be in jail for murder. "It was wrong of me to call her those names, and I will be apologizing to her about that too!" Danny said, knowing his response was very inadequate, but not being able to come up with anything else.

"So why did you do it? Could you not have come talked to me?" Jamie asked, really curious. His Dad had not given him any of the particulars of the conversation he and Danny had had. All that Jamie had been told is that Danny would be calling him. Danny looked away for a minute and saw two cops at an opposite table looking at him and Jamie.

Danny said to Jamie "You know that we are the main subject in here right now!" Jamie snorted and said "We are the main subject in the NYPD, and the only reason it didn't make the newspapers was because of that jerk from western New York!" Danny thought about that and said "Can you believe what a jackass that guy is? Taking pictures? And sending them?" They laughed about that, which took some of the tension away for a bit.

It made Jamie think that when things were good with his Brother it was great, but when they were bad it was awful. He wasn't sure if they would ever be close again after all this. "Can you tell me why you didn't come talk to me with your concerns?" Jamie asked him. Danny looked over at Jamie, but didn't see the grown man sitting across from him. He saw his little brother, and in his mind Jamie was the age of one of his sons.

"I thought I was protecting you! I assumed the worst, and acted on it!" Danny managed to articulate, thinking about the jumble of feelings that had been raging in his body. He was silent for a minute and then said "I was surprised when Dad told me you'd known about Teddy's Father." Jamie looked at him with annoyance and pity, as he asked "Why are you surprised?"

Danny felt like his body was being put through a wringer, and for one minute was tempted to let his emotions flare up, to get out of the situation. It took a lot to remind himself that those emotions were why he was in this situation. "I guess I figured that since you hadn't told me, you didn't know." He said, realizing that he had just assumed that Jamie would confide in him.

Jamie decided that this was the best opportunity he would have to address Danny's behavior, and how it affected their relationship. "Danny, why would I confide in you?" He said, being very interested to hear the answer. Danny looked at Jamie wide eyed, "You're my Brother!" Jamie sighed and said "You seem to remember that at very inconvenient times." He paused, and then said "Danny, you spend a lot of our time together telling me what I'm doing wrong, or shutting me out."

As Danny thought about those words, he reviewed some of their encounters in his mind. Looking at it from Jamie's point of view, he could see how he would regard it that way. "Jamie, all I've ever wanted to do for you, for Erin, even for Joe, is look out for you! I feel that it is my responsibility to take care of you!" Danny said, and then looking down at the table said "I just never go about it in the right way!"

"You think?" Jamie exclaimed, not wanting to think about what Danny would do to him if he hated him. "Look, I've said I'm going to get some help, since I'm obviously not dealing with my emotions well." Danny said, and Jamie looked impressed, and said as much. Danny gave a small laugh and said "I've been looking stuff up on the internet!"

Jamie had to give Danny points for getting this far and said to him "Maybe you should try getting to know me as a person, and not just your little brother?" Danny thought about that and said "Yes, that would be a good idea. And, I should not have interfered in your relationship with Teddy." Jamie smiled at his Brother said "I know that you don't tell me everything about Linda's family."

Danny thought about that, and remembered one of Linda's uncles who'd gotten into trouble about purchasing some stolen equipment. He'd not said anything to his family, but they found out about it when it made the newspaper. He tilted his head and said "You know you would've made a hell of a lawyer!" Jamie said "And miss all the excitement?" Danny smiled and said "I hope you will forgive me, even if it takes a while, Jamie! I really made a mess of things this time!"

"Yes, I will forgive you. But you have to make things right with Teddy too!" Jamie told him, in a serious voice. Danny sighed and said "Oh, I know! I'm in the dog house with Linda too, about that!" Jamie smiled and said "At least it's not Henri's dog house!" Danny thought about that, got the reference, and burst out laughing! Jamie joined in, and the other cops all wondered what those Reagans were up to now.

The next morning Danny headed over to the coffee shop that Teddy had suggested. It was close to the horse barns; she'd said she had to be there early, and would meet him afterwards. It was a beautiful summer morning, with the heat not too intense yet. He picked a table out on the patio, underneath a linden tree. Danny had told Linda and the boys that he would take them to the beach in the afternoon.

Teddy was walking down the street, and saw Danny sitting at a table on the patio of the shop. Jamie had called her last night and told her about the conversation, which had relived her. She didn't want to come between him and his Brother. Teddy really hoped that Danny was serious about getting some help and would listen to her.

Danny saw her coming down the sidewalk and waved at her. She smiled back, and came up to the table. He noticed that she had riding clothes on, a button down shirt with the NYPD vet logo on it, and her hair was up in the same interwoven style that he'd seen the other day. Danny had never been attracted to red heads, but looking objectively at her, he could see that she was very beautiful. At the back of his mind he marveled at how his little brother had been involved with two gorgeous women in a row.

They said hello and a waitress came to take their orders. After she was gone Danny's heart dropped, trying to think of where to begin. As hard as his conversation with his Brother had been, at least he was family. Danny happened to notice Teddy's belt, and asked about it, partially as a way to start the conversation, and also out of interest.

"It is a Navajo piece that was made for me. While I was in vet school I spent two summers doing an internship on the reservation." Teddy explained. "Did you get to Shiprock?" Danny asked with interest. Teddy was surprised to learn that he'd read all the Tony Hillerman novels, and knew a great deal about the area. They spent several minutes talking about the reservation and the Navajo.

There coffee came, and Teddy took a sip and then asked "When did you read Tony's novels? He died before I could meet him, but I did get to meet his wife and see his house. He had an incredible collection of Navajo pieces." Danny got a set look on his face, as he said "I read them when I was in Iraq." He found it very hard to talk about that at all.

Teddy saw the look on his face, and knew that she would have to proceed carefully. "My Grandfather spent a lot of time, back in the 60's and 70's in that area. He hated it, and always felt like he was one step away from being killed, with the way the tribesmen were." Danny nodded his head, knowing that feeling all too well.

"He worked for one of the oil companies, right?" Danny asked, remembering his earlier suspicions. "Yes, British Petroleum. He did exploration for them, which meant he had to go all over, pulling a travel trailer. He never knew if the local sheik was westernized, or not. That made all the difference in how he was received." Teddy explained, and then added "He has a very low opinion of the natives, which I'm pretty sure you share." Danny agreed, thinking it was nice to talk to someone who had a realistic view of the mess over there.

She asked him some questions about what parts of the country he'd been in, but left it at that. Danny, in one part of his brain, the one that made him a great detective, saw what she was doing, making him feel comfortable. He also saw though, once he got past that thought, that she was really concerned about him. Danny remembered his Dad's comment, that she was a good woman, and he realized that it was true.

Thinking that, he knew he needed to get on with what he came for. "Teddy, I need to apologize for my behavior at the vet clinic the other day. I handled the whole thing badly." Danny started, and she tilted her head as she looked at him, but didn't say anything. She was really curious as to how he was going to handle it.

"At Sunday dinner I had the feeling you were holding something back. My gut does something when that is going on, and while it makes me a good detective, according to my wife it makes me a pain in the butt!" Danny told her, and Teddy smiled, thinking she could hear Linda saying that. "I decided to look you up on the internet, and when I saw all the stuff about your Father."

He stopped, trying to think how to phrase it, but decided it didn't matter; it was bad no matter what. "I jumped to a lot of conclusions, and got very upset. When I get upset, and feel that my family or I is threatened, I get out of control." Danny told her; surprised he'd been able to explain it as rationally as he had.

"Danny that is a very common reaction for troops who have been in combat in the Middle East." Teddy said slowly, hoping she wouldn't upset him too much. She went on "I spent six months at a base in Germany, before going to Afghanistan. I saw a lot of soldiers coming back from their deployment, and they had the same look in their eyes that you had at the vet clinic."

When he heard that, Danny felt a little bit of the tightness around his heart release. He'd always kept so much inside of him, because that was what a real marine did. You manned up, and didn't whine about combat stress. Sitting here with Teddy though, and talking to someone who'd seen it before, Danny saw that he really needed help. He needed it for his family, and for him, before he lost everyone he loved.

"I've already told my Dad I was going to see someone." Danny told her, not feeling embarrassed about confessing that to someone he didn't know very well. Teddy smiled and said "I think that would be good. Do you have someone in mind?" He said "I know the police department has some people, and I thought I'd try them."

Teddy got a card out of her purse and passed it over to him. "I don't know anything about the police department people, but I worked with this man over in Germany. The army used him to work with the returning troops. He practices here in Manhattan now." Danny looked at the card, and noticed the address. "Teddy, I think he'll probably be out of my price range." She laughed and said "He is a very good friend of mine. And I saved his wife's cat's life! Mention my name to him."

"Thank you and I hope that you will forgive me at some point Teddy!" Danny told her, and then thought of something else "I'm also very sorry for what I called you, and wish there was some way to take it back." He truly wished there was, he thought. This woman had been nothing but kind and gracious to him, even after the way he had treated her. Danny thought of his Brother's last girl friend, and remembered Grandpa Henry's comment 'about Jamie hitting a homerun this time'. He'd been right as usual.

Teddy smiled at him and said "Danny, I forgive you right now. You meant well, and I know how much you care about Jamie! I wouldn't want to come between you two!" Danny could see that she meant that, and it touched him. He realized that family was very important to her, and as he did so, he remembered the way she'd talked to his boys. He decided that she was going to make them a great Aunt!

"I want to know, exactly what type of dog is Henri, the one who nailed me?" Danny asked, deciding to lighten the mood. He and Teddy spent another twenty minutes or so chatting about dogs. His boys had been asking for one, and he wanted to make sure that they didn't get one like Henri!

It was the next Sunday, and Erin was helping Nicky set the table at her Dad's house. Frank and the boys were watching the game, while Danny and Linda worked on dinner. Grandpa Henry, along with Jamie and Teddy should be back any minute. "Did you see how pretty Dr. Talbot's dress was?" Nicky gushed, and Erin agreed. Her daughter went on "She is so beautiful! I want to grow my hair out, so I can wear it like hers!"

Erin thought it interesting that Nicky was so taken with Teddy. She'd never been that way with Sydney, a fact that Erin had privately been glad about. She'd had a good idea of what Sydney spent on her wardrobe. She'd also not always cared for Sydney's taste, and certainly did not want her daughter to emulate it. Erin was impressed so far, on the two occasions she'd seen Teddy, with how the woman dressed. If what she'd read in the trial coverage was true, about Teddy's values, she was all for her daughter spending lots of time with her.

She was also impressed that Teddy was willing to be as forgiving as she was, after what Danny had done. She'd found out the whole story at the end of the week, when she met her Father for a drink. Erin had no problem believing that Danny had done what he'd had. It was classic Danny behavior; she sometimes wondered how Linda dealt with him. Erin was glad that he was going to get some help, but she was still concerned about him and Teddy sitting across the table from each other.

Just then she heard Grandpa Henry come into the house, laughing about something. Nicky giggled and said "I think Grandpa Henry likes Dr. Talbot as much as Uncle Jamie does!" Erin smiled and said "I think she reminds him of your Grandmother, who also had red hair." They looked at the older man, with Teddy on his arm, Jamie bringing up the rear.

"Isn't that dress great!" Nicky said to her Mom, and Erin had to admit that it was pretty and feminine at the same time. It had a vertical color blocked design in pale blue and butter yellow, with a sweetheart neck detail of sapphire blue satin. The dress was sleeveless, and Teddy wore it with a pair of beige low heels with dark brown trim. The sapphire blue set off her eyes and hair perfectly, and Erin liked how the dress was an appropriate length. If Nicky wanted to wear something like that she would be delighted.

Danny and Linda were in the kitchen, finishing up dinner. Actually Linda was finishing up dinner, while Danny was distracting her by letting his hands roam over her body, as he tried to kiss her neck. "Danny, stop it! We're in your Dad's kitchen! Wait until we get home!" Linda tried to say firmly, but really enjoying what he was doing. They'd made love early that morning, and it had been a wonderful way to start out the day.

"I will hold you to that promise!" Danny told her, stepping back so that she could finish what she was doing. After his talk with Teddy, he'd taken his family to the beach, but not before calling her friend. The man had been able to get him in the next day, and it turned out that he had an auxiliary office not far from one of the veteran's centers. Danny had been amazed at how easy it had turned out to be with the Doctor. There was no couch, but several comfortable chairs, and once he got over his unease, the session had gone well.

He and Linda heard Grandpa Henry arrive, along with Jamie and Teddy. Linda had been concerned about seeing Teddy after everything, but it hadn't been an issue. When she and Jamie had arrived at Mass, she'd smiled at Linda and Danny like nothing had happened. Linda wanted to talk to Teddy at some point about it, but wanted it to be the right time. She knew that she had a lot to thank Teddy for.

They were all around the table waiting for the boys to finish washing their hands. Erin was not one to shy away from matters and looked at Danny and Teddy, and then said "Are you two ok to sit together?" Danny and Teddy smiled at each other, and Danny said "Yes, we are."

Jamie put his arm around Teddy, so glad that things had worked out like they had. She could have handled it so differently, and driven a permanent wedge between him and his Brother. He and Teddy were going to go visit her Father next week, and he was planning on asking the man for permission to marry Teddy. The only thing Jamie couldn't figure out was where to ask her.

Teddy flashed her dimple and said "Actually, TLC is talking about offering us our own reality show!" Everyone looked at her, and she went on "I don't know about it though! I'm holding out for high seven figures, and Henri is holding out for top billing!"

By the end of the week a shot of Henri on top of Danny had been making the rounds of the NYPD. Frank really tried to contain his laughter at Teddy's remark, but Danny beat him to laughing first. Soon the whole table was laughing, and when the boys arrived they wanted to know what was so funny. Frank said "We were just laughing at a dog story!"

_**Author's Note: Teddy's dress is once again from Shabby Apple, the 'Block Party' model. I don't own the company, but do like their clothes.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's Note: This is the final chapter for the story, and I don't have a sequel planned. I might do some short stories, about cases for Danny and Jamie to work on, but that is down the road. If I do, Teddy will be there! Thank you for reading the story, and spending time with the Reagans! **_

_**Please note, no disrespect is meant to the great Pekingese Malachy, who shuffled absolutely perfectly in 2012!**_

_**Warning: This chapter has mature subject matter in it, but the couple is married! I am a big fan of Father Andrew Greeley's novels that celebrate love and passion in a marriage.**_

_**To my Voltron readers, I'm getting ready to start 'A Knight's Journey', as well as 'Polluxian Perils'. Look for them both around the middle of July.**_

_**Epilogue**_

Mr. & Mrs. Jamison Reagan were walking into the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, in downtown New York City. They were there to attend the wedding of a law school classmate of Jamie's. The Cathedral had been built in the late 1800's, and was designed by the Episcopalians to rival the Catholic St. Patrick's Cathedral. "I don't care how much money they spent, I think the Catholics did it better!" Jamie said in a low voice to his wife. She nodded her head and said "I agree! But either way I'm glad I didn't have to get married in somewhere like this!"

They had been married six months earlier, in Bermuda. When they'd gone to visit Teddy's Father, Jamie had managed to get a private moment with the man, and asked for his permission. Henry had been touched that the young man wanted his blessing, even if he was sitting in prison. He'd ended up sending Frank a letter praising Jamie, and saying how pleased he was that Teddy was marrying someone like him.

Jamie had honestly liked Henry, and appreciated how the man was willing to take responsibility for his mistakes. He'd enjoyed talking 'shop' with him, and they managed to forge a good relationship. Jamie had also met a friend of Henry's, an alumna of Harvard Law. The man was in prison for running one of the larger ponzi schemes that had gone on. He knew Jamie's story from Henry, and told the young man that he wished he would have done what Jamie did, instead of going into law and money. Jamie decided the world was a very small place!

The proposal and ring had stumped Jamie for a while, wanting it to be special. He didn't think Teddy would appreciate anything over the top, or touristy like a carriage ride around Central Park. It was when they were browsing in a book store, on a Saturday afternoon that an idea came to him. Teddy pointed to a picture of a garden within a courtyard, surrounded by a stone colonnade, and said it reminded her of Italy.

He recognized the place right away, as the Cloisters museum. The next Saturday afternoon he took her up to see it. They were in the Trie Cloister as the sun set, turning the marble a warm pink. Jamie proposed to her there, and after she got over crying and laughing at the same time she said yes! The ring had stressed him out, but he finally decided he could propose without one.

When he'd proposed to Sydney it had been at an expensive restaurant in Boston, and he'd already gotten a ring. Jamie had liked it, it had been priced right, and he thought he knew Sydney's taste. It was a traditional design, with a diamond center stone. Sydney had worn it, but he'd picked up from her Mother and Sisters that it wasn't really large enough, or ornate enough.

When Sydney gave him the ring back, after breaking up with him, he'd managed to sell it for almost what he'd paid for it. He set the money aside on the off chance he might, at some future date, need to buy another ring. At the time he hadn't really seen it happening, and he laughed at that thought now. After talking to Teddy he was glad that he'd waited to get a ring.

She told him that she wanted to be able to wear it all the time and a center stone would catch on the hair of the animals she worked with. Teddy said she wanted a simple diamond and sapphire band for an engagement ring, and a traditional gold band for the wedding ring. She hugged him and said that she trusted him to pick out something nice.

In spite of that, he had ended up calling Erin in a panic, from the jewelry store. Erin dropped what she was doing, and met him at the store, much to the relief of the manager and sales clerk. By then Erin had spent enough time with Teddy, and had a pretty good idea of what her future sister-in-law would like.

Teddy had loved the band, and said it was just what she had in mind. It had alternating square cut diamonds and sapphires in a gold channel setting. The stones weren't terribly large, but did go all the way around the band. It was tasteful and elegant at the same time, which reminded Jamie of Teddy.

Teddy and Jamie were both over the moon at the thought of getting married, as were both families. All that came to a dead halt when they went to talk to Father Coleman. It turned out that the Archdiocese of New York, along with most other Dioceses in the country had strict rules about getting married in the Catholic Church. Pretty much anywhere, with the exception of New Orleans, or Salt Lake City, mandated nine months to a year of engagement preparation. This was in spite of Teddy's brother, Harry, being a priest.

Father Coleman felt for the couple, as he thought they were more than ready to get married, and truly understood what the sacrament was about. He was also impressed that they were waiting until they were married to make love. Teddy had no intention of getting married in New Orleans, and Salt Lake was too far away. They'd resigned themselves to the wait, since they both wanted the Church's blessing. Teddy was especially frustrated because she didn't want a big wedding, just something simple with family.

However, Jamie's friend Hamilton Dundon, of Bermuda came to the rescue. He and Jamie were talking via Skype one night, and Jamie told him the whole story. Hammie asked Jamie some questions, and said he would get back to him. The next day he'd called, and proposed a solution. Since Harry was a Jesuit priest, he did not answer to an American Diocese, but to his Order. If the Order ok'd it, Harry could marry them in Bermuda.

Hammie's family had a colonial plantation house, complete with several guest cottages, all overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. They could be married in the plantation house, and there were cottages for the guests. The property also had a secluded cottage with a private beach, where Teddy and Jamie could spend their honeymoon.

Everyone thought it was the ideal solution, even Teddy. She did tell Jamie that she was concerned about being in the sun with her coloring, but Jamie told her not to worry about that. When she'd asked him why, he had said that once they were married he didn't think they'd get out of the bedroom. Teddy had blushed as red as her hair when he said that!

The travel arrangements turned out to be easy too. Hammie's parents had always been grateful to Jamie and the Reagans for taking care of their son while he was in America. A friend of theirs ran a charter airline service, and offered good rates. Teddy's sister and her family were able to get on a Navy flight coming into Bermuda, while her Grandparents took care of their own arrangements.

The wedding had taken place at candle lighting time, as it was called in the old south. Teddy wore a white lace dress with some light beading that reflected the candle light as she walked down the sweeping staircase. Her Grandfather gave her away, and her Brother married them. Her sister Emily was her matron of honor, and Nicky the bridesmaid. Emily's children, along with Jack and Sean attended, and didn't cause too much noise.

Teddy's grandparents were both tall Austrilians, and it was obvious that Teddy got her red hair from them. They were lovely people, and hit it off with the Reagans very well. It turned out that they were very wealthy, and that Teddy had a trust fund. It wasn't as big as Sydney's had been, but it wasn't bad either.

Her Grandparents also had a tradition of giving money for a deposit on a house, as a wedding gift. Jamie was blown away by their offer, but felt a little funny about taking it. Teddy had told him to stop it; it wouldn't look right if they lived in the apartment building where she was, and his place was way too small! They'd found a nice row house with a backyard, not that far from where Erin lived. It wasn't over the top, but it was an upcoming neighborhood.

Jamie was sure that the stars must be in alignment when, two weeks before his wedding, he won a lottery. Normally he didn't buy tickets, but he happened to be in a store and saw the sign. He didn't win the big jackpot, but enough to pay off his law school loan. He knew that a lot of people would've told him to invest the money, but he hated the debt hanging over his head. Jamie had talked to Teddy, who told him to do what would make him feel the best. It had been wonderful the following month, when he didn't have to make the loan payment.

Danny and Linda, after the wedding had a second honeymoon, and enjoyed some romance. Teddy's brother-in-law had brought his parents, so with them, Frank, and Grandpa Henry, there were enough people to watch the boys. Danny had been seeing the Doctor, and couldn't believe the difference it had made in his life. Everyone around him saw it too. He and Jamie were also forging a closer relationship, and Danny had been a big help in looking at houses.

Erin found romance, much to her surprise. Peter Hardin was the Annapolis roommate of Steve, Teddy's brother-in-law. The Reagans weren't sure at first why he was there, but was told that their Dads had served together in the navy, and they were like brothers. After graduating from the Naval Academy, Peter had gone to law school and joined the JAG corps.

He'd been married briefly to another JAG lawyer, but she decided that she'd not sweated through law school to defend poor sailors. She found a job with a major corporate law firm, and gave him an ultimatum. Peter let her go without too much fanfare. Erin had been surprised to learn that he was getting ready to leave the navy. He'd accepted a job as in-house council for a non-profit, in New York City, that worked for abused animals. Peter made it clear that he hoped Erin would help him get settled.

When Jamie and Teddy returned from their honeymoon, Grandpa Henry and Frank threw a big reception for them, at one of the police league halls. There was lots of food and dancing, and Teddy wore her wedding dress again. She and Jamie were a striking couple, with their height and coloring. It was obvious they were very much love. Everyone came, including the Mayor and several other politicians. Henri was an honored guest, but Danny got a little unnerved when Henri showed his teeth every time he saw him.

Jamie brought his mind back to the present, as they found a seat in the huge church. He put his arm around Teddy, as they looked through the program. She looked pretty in a lavender satin and tulle cocktail dress that set off her creamy skin. Her red hair was loosely pulled back, and then spun into ringlets that were pulled to the side of her face.

They were talking in low voices, as Jamie pointed out some of the people he knew. The wedding was scheduled for the evening, to be followed by cocktails and dinner at the Plaza hotel. Jamie would normally not have gone, but a good friend of his, who now practiced law in California, was going to be there.

The church was almost full, and Teddy was looking through the prayer book in the pew when she felt Jamie's body stiffen. She looked at him, wondering what was going on. She saw that he was looking at a couple coming up the aisle. The man was tall, dressed in a custom made suit, and Italian shoes. He was not bad looking in an over bred way.

It was the woman though who was commanding all the attention. Teddy gave her a quick once over, and noticed her clothes first. She had on black strappy five inch heeled scandals from Manolo Blahnik. Teddy had always secretly lusted after heels like that, but at 5'9 they really weren't an option. Jamie was over 6'0 tall, and while he probably wouldn't care if she was taller than he was, she wasn't going to do that to him.

The dress was one that Teddy had seen in Vogue, by Prada. It was black, revealing, and striking; a dress that made a statement! She then noticed the woman wearing it, and thought how pretty she was. Her hair was dark and worn up, while her dark eyes were very large in a pointed face. She was very petite, with tiny bones. Her tanned body was highlighted with elaborate diamond chandelier style earrings.

"Is she a movie star?" Teddy asked, trying to think if she'd seen her before. Jamie had had his arm around her while they were sitting together, and she felt it tighten. One of the things she loved about Jamie was how affectionate he was with her. "Honey that is my ex-fiancée!" Jamie said in a low voice against her ear. Teddy's mouth and eyes flew open, as she looked at him and then looked at the woman again. "That is Sydney?" Teddy asked, trying to picture Jamie and her together.

Jamie had wondered if Sydney was going to be there, and that was part of the reason why he'd thought about declining the invitation. However, he really wanted to see Parker, and figured that he would run into Sydney sooner or later. He looked at her now, and wondered what he'd ever seen in her. He thought about his life with Teddy, and how wonderful it was. She understood his world, liked his family and friends, and shared his faith. They prayed together every night, and said a rosary on Sunday evening. She was also an incredible lover, which thrilled Jamie no end!

"She is gorgeous! And her clothes are over the top!" Teddy said, privately thinking that the outfit was a bit much for a wedding guest. She hoped the bride was up to the task of out dressing Sydney. Teddy reasoned though, _'this was New York after all_' and was glad that it wasn't her problem. Jamie nuzzled against Teddy's ear and whispered "She is not even in your league Teddy!"

Teddy sighed, as she felt his breath on her skin. He could get her so excited so easily, and it was hard when she could do nothing about it. Teddy almost wanted to cry too, at the thought that in spite of the sex goddess walking up the aisle, Jamie only wanted her. "I think tonight we need to go for a ball park record!" She said to him, in a deep throaty voice as she moved against him. He felt a hard rush of desire course through his body. "You know it is rather indecent to get me aroused in Church!"

She giggled in a low tone and said "It's perfectly fine, we are married! Harry says that physical love between a married couple is the ultimate expression of holiness!" Jamie had been glad that his brother-in-law believed in sex for married couples. Right now though, looking at almost three hours of ceremony, cocktails, and dinner before he could be with his wife, he just wanted to go home.

Teddy sensed what he was feeling and pulled back slightly as she said "I don't want to miss filet mignon at the Plaza!" She tossed her head and flashed her dimple as she said it, and Jamie took a deep breath. Just then the organist changed the music and the wedding party started down the aisle.

It was an hour later, and they were at the Plaza hotel, drinking decent martinis and chatting with Parker Sanderson. He was an attorney with a Silicon Valley software company and had funny stories about dealing with twenty year old computer geniuses. He was rather lonely, as his wife was at home, eight months pregnant with their first child. She was a clinical pharmacist, and they had enjoyed chatting together.

The bell announced dinner, and they went to go find their tables. When Jamie and Teddy got to their table, they met a senior partner of a top law firm, and his wife, along with another lawyer and his partner, a curator at the Frick Museum. They were all seated when the fourth couple at the table showed up. Jamie's thought was that the groom either hated him or was clueless, while Teddy wished she'd had a second martini before sitting down.

Sydney and Campbell arrived at the table in a bad mood. Campbell had expected better seating because of who his family was, while Sydney was annoyed because Campbell hadn't booked a room at the Plaza for them. Instead, he expected them to drive back to their Upper East Side apartment that was a whole twenty minutes away!

Her mood took a serious nose dive when she saw that her ex-fiancée was seated at her table, holding hands with the most beautiful woman Sydney had ever seen. She could tell that the woman was tall, which always made Sydney feel inadequate. Her Mother and Sisters were all very tall, and she still wasn't sure why she'd ended up so short!

She noticed the flawless creamy skin, dark blue eyes, and glowing red hair of the woman with Jamie and didn't know what to do. Sydney did see though that the woman was not well dressed, wearing a simple outfit in pale purple. She thought it was rather old fashioned, and didn't know why the woman was not flaunting what she had!

Introductions were made, and Sydney was thrilled to learn that the senior law partner was related to her boss. She was less than thrilled when Jamie introduced the gorgeous red head as his wife. She couldn't believe that he'd gotten married and not told her about it. Campbell was too busy sucking up to the law partner, and neither of them paid that much attention to the lawyer and his curator partner.

"So Teddy, it sounds like you are from the south?" Sydney asked in a bright tone, and Teddy smiled and said "I'm from New Orleans!" The curator from the Frick, whose name was Phillip said "I was just down there, helping with a renovation at Oak Alley." Teddy flashed her dimple at him and said "There is a lot to do!" It turned out that Mark, the lawyer, had been down with him.

Michael and Helen, the senior partner and his wife, had done the Natchez Trace a year ago, and asked Phillip about the work he'd done. Sydney's idea of the south was Palm Beach, while as far as Campbell was concerned you vacationed at the family place in Maine, or you went to Europe.

Sydney was dismayed with this turn of the conversation, and wanted to change the subject. She took pleasure in asking Jamie how his career as a police officer was going. After not getting the response she'd wanted from Jamie, she asked Teddy what she did with her time.

"I'm a veterinarian with the NYPD. I take care of the horses and the service dogs." Teddy told her with a happy smile. She looked at Jamie and said "That is how we met!" Sydney watched as Jamie rubbed Teddy's shoulder, and looked at her with love. Campbell decided to inject himself into the conversation and asked her how she'd come to do that.

Teddy told them about CSU, and the army and they were impressed. Michael and Helen had a grandson in Afghanistan, and were looking forward to talking to her when things settled down. As the food was served Mark, who seemed to know Campbell asked him about the wedding plans. The ensuring discussion occupied most of the meal while Campbell and Sydney talked about the grand event that was going to happen at his family's mansion in Newport.

Sydney by now had imbibed two mixed drinks, and two glasses of wine. She remembered being surprised that Jamie had married without telling her about it. "Teddy, how long have you and Jamie been married for? I don't remember seeing an announcement?" She asked, in a pleasant tone as he eyes narrowed.

Teddy so wanted to laugh at how transparent Sydney was! Teddy took Jamie's hand and gave him a loving look before she said "We had a small wedding, family only. I didn't want a lot of fuss!" Jamie knew when Sydney was on her way to being drunk, and wasn't amused. "We had a lovely wedding in Bermuda, and we did our honeymoon there too!" Sydney waved her left hand with its large seven carats worth of heirloom diamond as she said "Oh, it sounds so sweet and simple!"

After dinner and the cake, there was dancing which Jamie and Teddy enjoyed. When they got tired they went back to the table, to get some water. Michael and Helen came and sat down too. It turned out they wanted to talk to Teddy about what Afghanistan was like. Mark had come up then, saying that Phillip was busy with one of the MET curators, discussing an antique French cabinet. He was interested in what Teddy had to say.

Jamie decided to go find Parker, and Teddy smiled at him. He saw that the older couple was very concerned about their grandson. Teddy would be glad to listen to them, and was happy that his wife was so compassionate. Parker was glad to see him, and they ended up going outside the ballroom, to where it was a little quieter.

Parker had decided to turn in for the night, because he had an early morning flight back to California. Jamie was ready to go, and was pretty sure that Teddy was too. He smiled as he thought about getting her home! He was walking back into the ballroom when Sydney came up to him. Jamie had wondered if this would happen, and he resigned himself to the conversation he knew was coming. "You look happy, Jamie! You must be enjoying the reception, and being at the Plaza and all! I bet you don't get here too often." Sydney said in a pleasant tone, hiding the barb she'd thrown at him.

In fact, Teddy's Grandparents had stayed here when they came into town the first couple of times, before the wedding. Jamie had spent quite a bit of time here, but didn't feel the need to tell Sydney that. "Yes, it is a lovely hotel!" He said in a neutral voice, hoping he could get back to Teddy. Listening to Sydney all through dinner, he was surprised at the edge her voice seemed to have a lot of the time.

"I want to go have a cigarette, would you come with me so we could talk?" She asked him, and Jamie really wanted to say no. He was sure that she'd just come from having one, by the faint smell on her. He'd never liked her smoking, and she'd made it a point not to do it around him. Sydney would tell him that she was going to quit as soon as she wasn't stressed out, but there always seemed to be something stressing her.

Jamie decided to be polite and said "Sure, but not for too long. Teddy and I are ready to go home." They got outside, and Sydney lit her cigarette, taking a deep drag on it before she said "I am very hurt that you didn't tell me you got married. I told you that I was getting engaged!" She'd felt blindsided when she sat down at the table this evening, and she'd not liked it.

He moved so the smoke blew away from him and said "It happened very quickly, and I didn't think it was any of your concern." Jamie was pretty sure that the only reason Sydney had told him about her engagement was to gloat, but he wasn't going to go there. "Jamie, I will always care about you!" She pouted, looking up at him. He was really tempted to roll his eyes, and decided he wanted to get away from her.

"I think everything has worked out for the best Sydney. Campbell seems like a good guy, and I'm sure your family likes him!" Jamie told her, privately thinking that the man was a stuck up ass, and they deserved each other. "So this Teddy doesn't mind that you're a police officer?" Sydney asked, trying to comprehend it. Jamie smiled and said "She completely understands. Her Father was a police officer!" Before Sydney could reply with another barbed comment, Jamie excused himself and went inside.

Teddy was at the table by herself, and Jamie came and sat down next to her, pulling his chair close to hers. "I'm glad to see you, but you smell slightly like smoke." Teddy said, cuddling with him. "I ran into my ex, and she wanted to talk to me while she had a cigarette!" Jamie told her, and going on "It was not a pleasant experience!"

She was surprised that Jamie had dated someone who smoked, but having met Sydney she could see how a woman like that could get to a man. Teddy looked at Jamie, and saw annoyance in his eyes, as he thought about the encounter. She nuzzled against his neck, and then said in his ear "I think we should go home and give you a much more pleasant experience to think about!"

Jamie felt his body respond to what she was doing, and groaned slightly. He put his arm around her shoulder and asked in a low voice "What did you have in mind, Edwina?" He liked calling her by her formal name when she was arousing him. She laughed and said "When we get inside the house, I want you to." The rest of it was said so only he could hear. Jamie felt desire throb through his body, and he almost growled. Teddy went on "And then we'll go into the bedroom, and you can." She whispered exactly what she wanted him to do, into his ear.

Teddy reached under the table and it caused him to close his eyes as the sensations washed over him. "Honey, you'd better stop it now, if you want to make it home!" Jamie told her, in a rough voice. She removed his hand, but giggled saying "If we'd brought the SUV we wouldn't have to worry about making it home!" Teddy loved his classic car, but knew that it was too small for them to do anything in, having tried once.

They got up to leave, not noticing that Sydney had been watching them from a bit back. She'd never cared for public displays of affection, and the one time Jamie had tried anything she'd shut it down fast. Now though, having watched her ex-fiancée almost make out with his wife in public, she was sad. A large part of her would've died if Campbell tried anything like that.

However, one small part of her heart wondered what it would be like to have a man who loved you with that intensely. She also knew that Jamie had never looked at her like he looked at the red haired woman. Sydney was a realist though, and looked down at her large engagement ring. She compared it to the simple bands that Teddy wore, and decided that she'd come out on top overall.

It was much later, and Jamie and Teddy were lying in bed after making love. They'd barely gotten into the house before Jamie had her clothes off and her pressed her against the wall. It'd taken no time to reach climax, both being so aroused. The session in the bedroom had gone much slower, and finished off with Teddy begging him to go faster and harder. Now, Jamie had his head on her shoulder, and her arms were holding him tightly.

This was his second favorite time with her, after making love. Jamie still remembered the first time they'd made love, on their wedding night. Teddy's body had continued to tremble, even after they were done, and he enjoyed how it felt against his. He would never say anything to Teddy, but he sometimes thought about Sydney. The minute they were done having sex, which Jamie knew now was all they'd done, she jumped out to go clean herself off. Sydney had told him that she didn't like being sticky and sweaty, but to Jamie it felt like she wanted to wash him off of her as soon as she could. She didn't like to be touched either, unless they were having sex.

Teddy loved to cuddle with him, and was very happy to stay with him when they finished making love. In truth, most of the time the experience was so intense that Teddy didn't think she could walk afterwards. They would pray together sometimes, and the experience was spiritual on a deep level. "Edwina Reagan, you are going to be the death of me!" Jamie said, and added "I am completely worn out! Happy, but worn out!"

"Well then you will die a happy man! However, don't get any ideas, as I want you around for a long time!" Teddy told him, her hand ruffling his hair. She laughed and added "You need to get some rest so we can make love in the morning, before we go to Mass!" Jamie was almost asleep, and mumbled his agreement, saying a silent prayer of thanks!

It was a little over nine months later and all the Reagans, along with Teddy's Grandparents were at the hospital, waiting. Grandpa Henry and Grandpa Max were talking about the old days, when Father's weren't involved with the birth. "Our job was to have cigars ready to pass out!" They laughed at that, and Erin said "I think it is a good thing, for the Dad to be there!" Sean asked his Dad "Were you there when I was born?" Danny laughed and said "Of course! Your Mother would've killed me otherwise!" He put his arm around Linda as he said it.

Just then a nurse came out and told them that they could go in. They were all curious as to what the sex of the baby was. Jamie and Teddy had decided that they wanted to be surprised, which made Grandmum Helen crazy! She'd wanted to do lots of shopping for the new arrival.

In the room, Jamie was sitting on the bed next to Teddy, while she held the wrapped bundle. The baby had its hand wrapped around Jamie's finger. He was in awe that he and Teddy had produced this, and just looked at her with love. She looked at him, and reached over to lightly kiss him.

"Honestly, you just produced one baby, and you want to work on number two already!" Danny said with laughter in his voice as they all walked in. Before anyone could say anything they saw the color of the blanket! "It's a girl! I have a girl cousin!" Nicky announced happily. Everyone admired her, and Teddy said "This will probably be one of the few times she wears pink!"

The baby had a fair amount of red hair on her. "Nonsense, she can wear pink! Now I can go shopping!" Grandmum Helen said in a happy voice. "What is her name?" Frank asked, and Jamie and Teddy exchanged a look. "Her name is Claire Elizabeth! Claire for Grandpa Henry's wife, and Elizabeth for my Mum!" Teddy told them, and Jamie said to Grandpa Henry "Would you like to hold your Great-Granddaughter?"

Grandpa Henry was trying not to cry, and he nodded his head as he came over and sat in the chair. Jamie passed him the pink wrapped bundle, and when he took it the little girl smiled up at him. He was sure that his heart was going to melt.

Jamie heard a song over the sound system, and realized it was an old one, from the 60's. He didn't know the group, but as he listened to it, he thought it was about him and Teddy. He took her hand sand said in a low voice "Listen to the song honey; it is how I feel about you!" She almost cried when she heard it and said "That is an Australian group called The Seekers, and the song is 'I'll never find another you'. Jamie that is how I feel about you too!" He didn't care who was in the room, and reached over and kissed her again.

Danny shook his head and said to his Dad "You know we'll probably be back here in a year!" Frank got a smile on his face and agreed with him! It turned out that Danny was right, but it would be because of him and Linda. Nicky got another girl cousin when Danny and Linda had their third child. Claire would get a little brother, but not until she was two and a half years old.

Henri had the distinction of being responsible for the largest drug bust in the history of New York City. That February, he and his handler Sgt. Canute Olfesson were honored at Westminster Kennel Club for the achievement. Henri was also proud that a fellow Belgian Malinois won the Herding Group that year! Unfortunately, Best in Show went to a shuffling Pekingese, but Frank Reagan, Police Commissioner insisted on treating Henri and Ludwig to the same steak dinner that the Pekingese got, at Saridi's!

_**Finis**_


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